THE Provincial Government is intensifying its campaign to establish rabies-free zone in Iloilo despite the increasing number of animal bite cases.
Based on statistics, human rabies deaths in Iloilo decreased from three in 2011 to only one in 2013. But it rose to two in 2014 and five in 2015 due to low dog vaccination coverage, especially in areas stricken by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
Yolanda hit the province and other parts of the Visayas in November 2013.
People after Yolanda were engrossed with post-Yolanda rehabilitation and recovery efforts, said Provincial Rabies Coordinator Estifania Gigare of the Provincial Health Office.
“The goal is to end human rabies in Iloilo by strictly enforcing the law and intensifying the campaign on responsible pet ownership,” Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. said.
Since 2011, the Provincial Government has established Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTCs) in 12 district hospitals to properly manage the increasing animal bite cases in Iloilo.
Additional ABTCs were also established in Santa Barbara, Oton, Carles and San Joaquin.
The Provincial Government has allocated P2 million for the procurement of rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin this year.
The Provincial Health Office has P2.5 million and the Provincial Veterinary Office has P1,032,000 budget for the same.
The recorded human rabies deaths correspond to the increasing number of animal bite cases in the province from 11,553 in 2011 to 22,189 in 2015.
Most of these cases occurred in Passi City with 1,461, Lambunao with 1,072, Pototan with 988, Janiuay with 936, and Calinog with 861 in 2015.
Majority of these cases affect 15-year-old teenagers and 71-82 percent of the biting animals involve dogs. (Jezza A. Nepomoceno)