World Rabies Day (WRD) activities organised in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, were supported by the OIE RRAP. These were a rabies awareness walk, a session for school children and a free dog rabies vaccination camp. Other events were organised throughout the country.
A joint event in Rawalpindi was organised by the OIE RRAP with the Ministry of National Food Security & Research (MoNFS&R), Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) School and PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR). An awareness session was led by the Deputy Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Principal of OPF Girls College, Director General of the National Veterinary Laboratories (NVL), Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences at PMAS-AAUR and Animal Husbandry Commissioner (MoNFS&R). A seminar with presentations and animated videos taught children at OPF School about rabies. Leaflets in the Urdu language were distributed and children learned about pet vaccination.
School children and officials then walked through Chandni Chowk to raise awareness about rabies; university students and officials also did an awareness walk in PMAS-AAUR. Participants distributed awareness leaflets to members of the public during their walks.
The Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the Arid University supervised a free vaccination camp for four days at three PMAS-AAUR clinics. The camp was inaugurated by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner. 1,300 pet dogs were vaccinated against rabies.
Various other WRD events were organised throughout the country. In the Provinces, the Livestock & Dairy Development (L&DD) Department had awareness walks, school focus programs and seminars in nine divisions including thirty-six districts. In Punjab, the University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences in Lahore held various activities including an awareness walk and seminar, vaccinations for people and animals. The Cholistan University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences held a rabies awareness walk. In Sindh, the Indus Hospital had a “Rabies Free Karachi” program with an awareness seminar and dog vaccination. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the L&DD Department had an awareness session and walk. The National Institute of Health in Islamabad also had awareness events.
The OIE RRAP supported WRD in Pakistan with printing of banners and awareness leaflets, meeting costs and purchase of dog vaccinations.
*Source: The Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Government of Pakistan
