body-container-line-1

Ashanti Region now epicenter of rabies — GHS

By Jacob Aagyenim Boateng || Contributor
Health Ashanti Region now epicenter of rabies — GHS
MAY 6, 2023 LISTEN

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has declared the Ashanti Region as one of the epicenters of the rabies disease in Ghana.

According to GHS, the data available show that Ashanti Region recorded the most rabies cases followed by the Greater Accra Region.

This was disclosed during sensitisation program for the media on rabies on Thursday, May 3, 2023.

The event which was organized by the Ghana Health Service with support from USAID is aimed at equipping journalists in the region with the right information on rabies to help them in their reportage.

A presentation by GHS showed that, a total of 4010 cases of dog bites were recorded with six rabies cases identified in 2022

The data further revealed that all victims of the six cases of rabies died.

Speaking to this reporter at the sidelines of the event, the Ashanti Regional Vertinary Officer, Dr Maybel Abudu said rabies is a deadly viral disease of warm-blooded animals which are transmitted through a scratch or bite.

She noted that, all cases of rabies recorded in the region were from dog bites and urged all dog owners to vaccinate their animals.

She however called on the government to bring back the mass vaccination for dogs to reduce rabies deaths.

For his part, the Dean of School of Vertinary Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Professor Ben Emikpe attributed the situation to urbanization.

body-container-line