The situation was advanced by the head of the Disease Control department of the National Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health, José Franco Martins, at the opening of a conference on rabies.
"At the moment, the data are being updated, the annual average is 140 deaths from rabies every year", said José Franco Martins, speaking to Rádio Nacional de Angola, stressing that every year there is a period in which an increase in reporting of cases of bites and deaths from rabies.
The official stressed that rabies, once diagnosed, has a lethality of 100 percent, adding that due to the outbreak that has been declared, the Government has carried out an emergency supply and purchase of vaccines and serum, which have already been distributed throughout the country. .
"It should be noted that not every bite or when a dog bites is rabid, so the work that the health units have been doing and that they already have guidance is to inform, educate, the citizen about the observation of the animal's behavior and also to take some care with the wound," he said.
José Franco Martins underlined that the work is multisectoral, in the sense of improving the awareness not only of technicians, but also of the community, as well as raising awareness of the population for the adoption of safe behaviours, especially those with animals.
In turn, the person in charge of health promotion at the National Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health, Joseth Sousa, said that the main objective of the conference is the exchange of experiences between specialists and the interaction of all the actors necessary to control the area. in Angola.
Joseth Sousa stressed that an official statement was made regarding the increase in cases of rabies, so the conference was held and "immediately afterwards" the animal vaccination campaign will be organized", the "main strategy for this control".
