Health Minister Mandaviya launches National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030

New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): On the occasion of World Rabies Day, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday launched the National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE), read a release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Mandaviya along with Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala urged all the States and Union Territories (UTs) to make Rabies a notifiable disease.
Mandaviya and Rupala also launched the "Joint Inter-Ministerial Declaration Support Statement" for Elimination of Dog mediated Rabies from India by 2030 through One Health Approach, as per the statement.
Speaking at the event, Mandaviya noted, "Man is not an isolated animal and acquires diseases from animals who are also nestled in their environment. Outside of human purview, animals fight and amongst each other enabling viral transmission. Only a holistic approach to health keeping in mind human-animal interaction and their broader interaction with the environment can help alleviate such challenges."
Reminding everyone of the outbreak of Coronavirus, he said, "Earlier people did not venture out beyond a radius of 20-25 km which has drastically changed with the advent of modern life. This has facilitated an individual for overnight inter-continental travel with layovers enabling him to come in contact with a wide range of people of various backgrounds in different countries resulting in quick and uncontrolled transmission."
The Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying also suggested undertaking extensive IEC to make people aware of the difference between vaccine and medicine with regard to Rabies. (ANI)