By Hou Akot Hou
Ministry of Animal Resources in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has launched a vaccination campaign to combat rabies in Aweil town. The vaccination targets 1,500 dogs against the deadly disease.
Director-General of the Ministry, Samuel Ajing Uguak, announced on Thursday that the campaign will prioritize dogs accompanied by their owners.
“Dogs which are rabid ones are common and we saw it significant to vaccinate the dogs. We have secured the vaccines that can cover 1500 dogs, so it is imperative for our people to turn up next week with their pets,” he advised.
The ministry has secured sufficient vaccines and urges residents to bring their pets for vaccination next week.
While the vaccination will not be entirely free, Uguak emphasized that the cost is minimal.
“The little money that we shall be asking an owner to pay is 3000 SSP. It is a low cost. As you can imagine if your pet bites a person or a stranger you can pay SSP 70,000 per vaccine. So this sort of a free service” He urged.
The vaccination campaign, which will run for a week, is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Animal Resources and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).