EPHI host National Workshop on Rabies Prevention and Control in Ethiopia

The Infectious and Noninfectious Disease Research Directorate of the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, EHNRI organizes National Workshop on Rabies Prevention and Control in Ethiopia, 18 to 19 October, 2012, Adama.

During the opening session, Dr. Almaz Abebe, Director of the Infectious and Noninfectious Disease Research Directorate in EHNRI said that the workshop is conducted to bringing together all concerned stakeholders to address the critical agendas of rabies prevention and control in Ethiopia.

Dr. Almaz said “I believe this workshop will also help us to coordinate the prevention and control effort and maximize the impact that we are putting on rabies”

On his opening remark, Director General of EHNRI, Dr. Amha Kebede said that, in addition to establishing the network among concerned stakeholders and creates holistic approach for rabies prevention and control in Ethiopia, this workshop, I believe, will also indicate us the means that the regional laboratories can provide rabies diagnosis service at regional level. 

The national workshop, which is also conducted to commemorate the world Rabies Day and create public awareness on rabies, has also privileged the Zoonoses Research Team of the Institute to disseminate the Preliminary findings of the National Rabies Baseline Survey.

 According to Dr. Abraham Ali, PI of the National Rabies Baseline Survey and Head, Zoonoses Research Team, the Survey was conducted to generate a comprehensive data on rabies and its related aspects in the human and animal populations in Ethiopia.

During his presentation of the preliminary finding of the survey,  Dr. Abraham Ali said that The major findings of this survey will enable all concerned bodies in the rabies prevention and control, to estimate the annual incidence of animal bites and human rabies deaths, estimate annual consumption of post exposure treatment, understand time trends of rabies in human and animal populations, measure the level of rabies control and prevention efforts and identify gaps and assess the awareness level of the population concerning Rabies” 

As part of the workshop activities’, the Institute has also officially launched the rabies educational material that is published to educate the public about the danger of Rabies and aimed at reducing dog bite incidence and risk of rabies transmission. 

The Educational material that has targeted Veterinary and Health professionals,  School children and Media organizations believed to make school age children aware of rabies and avoid provocative actions against stray dogs. In addition to that, the material will also believed to mobilize the community on rabies prevention and equip the media organizations with necessary knowledge about rabies prevention and control and insist to produce relevant programs and articles on rabies.

The workshop that attracted more than 70 participants from stakeholders and partner groups, Agriculture and Health Sectors and different Association, concluded by forming National Taskforce that will closely deal with rabies prevention and control.