The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) launched a week-long intensive Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) drive on the occasion of World Zoonoses Day observed on July 6. As part of the initiative, it has committed to vaccinate at least 800 stray dogs every day in the city.
On Tuesday, BBMP’s chief commissioner Gaurav Gupta and Special Commissioner (Animal Husbandry) D. Randeep launched the ARV vehicles that are separate from the fleet used to pick up dogs for sterilization.
Currently, animal welfare organisations working with the BBMP are using the same vehicles for both Animal Birth Control (ABC) and ARV programme, which was slowing down the ARV progress.
Each of the 8 zonal ABC/ARV service providers is sanctioned to outsource a vehicle, driver and two dog-handlers for the ARV in their respective zones at ₹73,186 per vehicle. The civic body has planned a systematic annual vaccination of at least 70% of the stray dogs across 198 wards. In a press release, BMMP said it has already completed intensive ARV in 44 wards, and is undertaking ring vaccination in areas where incidences of rabies have been reported. This year, 47,164 stray dogs have been vaccinated, the release said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Animal Health Organization (OIE) has set a goal to eradicate dog-mediated human rabies globally by 2030. In August 2020, the BBMP launched a dedicated Rabies Helpline (+91 6364893322) for the public to report suspected cases of rabies.