After two people died in Banepa due to rabies, the municipality has launched programs such as awareness, vaccination campaigns, and community dog census.
What you should know
On November 11 last year, 40-year-old Sumitra Bhujel of Banepa Municipality-6 died of rabies.
Seven months later, in the second week of Asad 2082, 74-year-old Jibnath Ghimire of Banepa-2 was bitten by a dog. He also died due to treatment.
The Public Health Office, Kavre, has details of two deaths due to rabies infection from community dog bites in Banepa in one fiscal year.
The office says that the number of people vaccinated against rabies caused by dog bites has increased in Kavre. The office has details of 3,251 people in 2079/80, 3,313 in 2080/81, 3,835 in 2081/82, and 1,334 people from Shrawan 2082/83 to date. Among the 13 local levels of Kavre, Dhulikhel Municipality, Banepa Municipality, Panauti Municipality, Panchkhal Municipality, Chaurideurali Rural Municipality, and Mandandeupur Municipality have the highest number of people vaccinated.
In Dhulikhel, 913 people were vaccinated in 2079/80, 848 in 2080/81 and 1,027 in 2081/82. According to Sandeep KC, head of the municipality's health department, since the vaccine against rabies is easily available at the primary health center, many patients come to the center after a dog bite. He said that the municipality has been conducting various programs including awareness programs, vaccination campaigns against rabies, and sterilization of community dogs to reduce the risk of rabies.
Banepa has been conducting public awareness programs on rabies, sterilization of dogs to reduce the number of community dogs, and vaccination against rabies, especially targeting Ward No. 2 and 6. According to Maheshwor Shrestha, head of the municipality's health department, after two people died of rabies in Banepa in one fiscal year, special precautions have been taken.
According to the municipality's animal department, the municipality is currently counting community dogs. The department said that this will help keep track of how many community dogs there are in the municipality.
The Public Health Office, Kavre, has stated that most of the people coming for rabies vaccination are coming due to bites from community dogs. Office chief Ragishree Shrestha said that the number of people getting vaccinated against rabies after dog bites has increased recently. But the amount of vaccine in the office is low. She said that the demand for rabies vaccine is increasing in municipalities and it is difficult to supply it according to demand. "Due to the failure to properly manage community dogs, the number of people getting vaccinated against rabies after dog bites in the district has increased," she said. "To reduce this, there is a need for coordination and cooperation between the health office, animal service office, local level and other bodies."
Animal Service Office Kavre has been conducting special campaigns against rabies at various times, says Sushila Shrestha, Animal Development Officer of the office. According to her, community dogs have been vaccinated against rabies free of charge in all 13 municipalities of Kavre.
Although various bodies and municipalities have been conducting various programs against rabies, it has not been properly managed.
