ILOILO – Five island barangays and two islands in this province are now rabies-free.
These are barangays Granada, Asluman, Gabi, and Lantangan, and Balbagon and Bantique islands in Carles town; and Barangay Nasidman, Ajuy town.
They were officially declared rabies-free by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 and Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 during the Sub-national Awarding of Rabies-free Islands and Island Barangays in Western Visayas on March 23.
Dr. Darel Tabuada, head of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), said the aforementioned areas passed the criteria set by the technical working group composed of the DOH, DA, Philippine Veterinary Medical Association, Department of Education, and Department of Interior and Local Government, among others.
One of the criteria is that there must be no indigenous case of rabies both in human and animals in a barangay for the last two years, Tabuada told Panay News yesterday.
The seven areas also met the following criteria:
* having at least 70 percent of dog population vaccinated for the past two years
* creating and implementing local ordinance on prevention and control of rabies
* presence of effective rabies control committee
* having operative and adequate surveillance system
* establishing a mechanism to ensure the availability of human and animal anti-rabies vaccines, implementing health education and advocacy
* integrating rabies program curriculum in elementary schools, and
* celebrating Rabies Awareness Month and World Rabies Day.
“May in place sila nga sustainability plan for the rabies-free islands. So, these are the requirements nga kinahanglan nila nga ma-meet,” added Tabuada.
The rabies-free areas are also conducting population control such as spay/neuters and massive dog vaccination.
In case any of the seven rabies-free areas will record just one case, the Iloilo Provincial Rabies Control Committee will give them six months to cope or to contain the spread of rabies like random sampling.
Tabuada added each rabies-free island barangay received P50,000 cash incentive from DOH-6 to be used to sustain activities in the prevention and control of rabies.
The PVO also continues to call on pet owners to be responsible and have their dogs vaccinated in line with the provincial government’s target to be declared rabies-free by 2025 or 2026.
“We are working kay may target kita to be declared rabies-free province by 2030. But ang Iloilo Provincial Health Office mas early ang ila target. They are targeting 2025 kag kung kaya namon ang 2025, we will do it,” said Tabuada.
Moreover, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. allotted P8 million for 20,150 vials of vaccines distributed to 42 towns and Passi City this year.
It could cover 70 percent of the total dog population in the province or 215,000 heads of the 307,578 total population./PN
