Governance
Rabies Alert: FCTA Deploys Vets to Vaccinate 20,000 Animals
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced a free rabies vaccination campaign targeting about 20,000 dogs and cats across the 62 wards in the six Area Councils of the FCT, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the deadly disease.
The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) had on July 15 confirmed eight cases of rabies and two deaths in the Territory, prompting the administration to intensify measures to prevent further transmission.
The Mandate Secretary of ARDS, Comrade Abdullahi Suleiman Ango, disclosed the vaccination target while leading an on-the-spot monitoring and evaluation team to Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils.
Ango said the two-week exercise was designed to create a protective barrier against the virus and contain the outbreak before it spreads to other communities.
He said more than 100 experienced veterinary officers had been deployed to strategic locations across the Territory, expressing confidence that the teams would achieve the targeted coverage within the two-week period.
“We have the firm conviction that by vaccinating 15,000 to 20,000 dogs and cats, we are going to stop the spread of the virus. From what we have recorded so far, two weeks is sufficient time for our team to cover this scope,” he said.
The Mandate Secretary also urged
residents not to panic, assuring them that the FCTA had taken proactive steps to protect public health and contain the outbreak.
“Everybody should remain calm; the government is there for them. With our minister at the helm of affairs, residents do not need to be scared of anything.
“Our Minister is a performer, a proactive leader who has always assured us that when you want to serve, you must serve diligently. With him at the helm of affairs, I don’t think residents of FCT need to be scared of anything,” Ango stated.
He attributed the swift intervention to the prompt approval and support of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, adding that the exercise was aimed at ensuring effective implementation, transparency and accurate reporting.
According to him, apart from the initial cases recorded in parts of the Territory, veterinary teams had so far prevented further spread through immediate intervention and vaccination.
Also speaking, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Karnak Dandam, described rabies as a highly fatal but preventable disease, stressing that vaccinating dogs remains one of the most effective ways of preventing transmission to humans.
“Rabies is a very deadly disease. Once a rabid dog bites a human being and the clinical signs set in, there is no survival, but it is 100 percent preventable once the dogs are vaccinated,” he said.
Dandam disclosed that more than 12,000 vaccine doses were already available and being administered by veterinary teams across the wards, including efforts to reach stray animals.
He noted that some communities and Area Councils had commenced local vaccination efforts even before the territory-wide campaign began, citing Kuje and Bassa communities among those that had mobilised support following the outbreak reports.
The Director expressed confidence that the available vaccines, alongside the deployment of veterinary personnel, would enable the administration to meet its target during the campaign.
Some beneficiaries in Gwagwalada commended the FCTA for the free vaccination programme and its quick response to the outbreak.
A dog owner, Nathan Yusuf, who brought his dogs for their first rabies vaccination, expressed satisfaction with the exercise, while Bashir Yusuf, a local hunter who presented three dogs for vaccination, also praised the administration for providing veterinary services at no cost.
The FCTA said the vaccination exercise would continue daily at designated centres across the six Area Councils.
Residents are encouraged to cooperate with veterinary officers and make their dogs and cats available for vaccination, as the administration believes that widespread animal immunisation will help protect residents and prevent further transmission of rabies in the Territory.