Press Release 25^th September 2019

World Rabies Day seminar and awareness walk was held at Isra University, Hyderabad Campus.  The theme was Rabies: vaccinate to eliminate from Pakistan. Professor Nazeer Ashraf Laghari, Prof Vice Chancellor (academics) Isra University chaired the seminar, and addressed the awareness walk. He said that rabies is an old neglected zoonotic disease spread by dogs and other animals mostly poor and disadvantaged population gets dog bites from street roaming dogs.  There is life saving vaccine which should be made available in public and private hospitals supported by awareness campaigns like this by students and faculty of Isra University. He announced rabies treatment and vaccination research center in Isra Welfare Hospital for which funds will be located in the budget.  Professor Hussain Bux Kolachi, Dean in his presentation told that rabies vaccine was first given in 1885 by Louis Pasteur in France to a nine year boy Joseph Meister. Since than world has used rabies vaccine. Another advance came in 1976 in Iran. When 14 dose vaccine was changed and new and effective of five dose was tested successfully and now this vaccine is recommended by WHO. In Pakistan the vaccine production facilities are less and there is shortage of 800,000 doses.  Government should procure this vaccine so that dog bite cases are cured for rabies virus which is 100% fatal, if vaccine is not given to the victim. He told that in Pakistan 97000 dog bite cases and 2000-5000 deaths are reported annually. This year in Karachi, 18000 dog bite cases and 21000 cases in Hyderabad division have been registered by various health facilities. This awareness program was initiated on 15-16 September in which awareness workshop was held in Nangar Pakrar, Tharparkar for doctors and paramedics. In second phase walk and seminar have been held in Isra University. Nursing and medical students presented posters, staged role plays and drama. Prizes and certificates were given. Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad and Mehran TV broadcast and telecast awareness program about rabies. More than 10,000 people will benefit from this awareness activity.

Following senior faculty member also spoke on rabies day. Which include Dr Salman Kazi, Professor Abdul Sattar Memon,  Dr Qadir Bux Qadwani, Dr Aziz Thebo, Dr Sohail Bajarani and Dr Shams Solangi

Program was organized by Department of Community Medicine and Faculty of Medicine and allied medical sciences, Isra University, Hyderabad.

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