The high incidence of dog and snake bites has emerged as a health challenge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to a report compiled by the District Health Information System (DHIS), Peshawar, around 225,749 people were bitten by dogs and 11,651 by snakes in 27 districts of the province from 2016 to 2019.

Declaring the problem real and immense, experts say 50,450 cases of dog bites and 7,367 of snake bites were reported, while 45,514 dog bites and 1,576 of snake bites were reported last year with a decline in incidence.

The official statistics of these cases from the newly-merged tribal districts are unavailable.

An official of the health department told Dawn that figures of dog and snake bite incidence in tribal districts were being compiled and they would be released next year.

He said hospitals lacked anti-rabies vaccine, so the people injured by stray dogs suffered.

The civil society and animal rights activists oppose the eradication of stray dogs by shooting or poisoning and advocate sterilisation, saying the procedure prevents stray dogs from breeding and considerably reduces the dog bite incidence.

A recent news report of a foreign media organisation revealed that Peshawar had 5000-7000 stray dogs, which roamed the city streets without let or hindrance and thus, posing a serious threat to people’s health.

Wasifa Begum, a housewife from Board Bazaar, Peshawar, said she was concerned about her children’s safety due to the presence of stray dogs on the streets in large numbers.

“Almost every Peshawar neighbourhood has a pack of stray dogs, which even enter houses in search of food,” she told Dawn.

The resident said whenever she stepped out, she was always wary of dog attacks and didn’t allow children to play outside fearing harm by dogs.

“The son of one of our relatives was bitten by a stray dog last month. He was immediately shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital, where he got proper treatment. The child was lucky to get vaccinated on time. The city is becoming unsafe for us all, especially minor children, due to the growing number of dog bite cases, so the government should take corrective steps without delay,” she said.

The statistics show that Peshawar district has the highest dog and snake bite incidence in the province. The city reported 10,046 cases of dog bites and 89 of snake bites in 2018.

Only five dog bite cases were reported in central Kohistan district in the year. However, no incident of snake bite occurred there.

Lower Kohistan district has the distinction of witnessing not a single dog and snake bite case last year.

A total of 623 people were bitten by stray dogs and 82 by snakes in the provincial capital in 2018. Though the dog bite incidence dropped significantly to 372 next year, the number of snake bite cases surged to 297.

Despite official claims and decline in dog bite incidence, the people insisted that most healthcare units, including hospitals, didn’t have the required facilities against such cases.

They said the people’s life continued to be vulnerable to dog and snake attacks, so the government should take effective steps to contain the ‘monster’ without delay.

Health expert Mushtaq Afridi said most city hospitals didn’t have anti-rabies vaccine and anti-venom and if the government didn’t realise the intensity of the problem, public life could suffer serious harm.

He said the incidence of dog and snake bites in tribal districts could stun the people at the helm as the region formerly known as Fata had no or little healthcare facilities.

An official of the health department said district health officers had been directed to ensure the availability of vaccines against dog and snake bites, while coordination between preventive and curative sections had been strengthened to address the issue.

“Better public awareness is imperative as mortality rate by rabies is 100 per cent. People should report bites by stray dogs on time for effective treatment,” he said.

Livestock department district director Dr Syed Masoom Ali told Dawn that previously, stray dogs were either killed or culled but his department adopted a new method to do away with the menace and that’s sterilisation.

He said the department had established a unique facility in Chagharmati area of Peshawar city with an operating theatre for stray dogs.

The director said the government had approved Rs150 million for addressing the stray dog issue.

“We recently opened another operating theatre at the Civil Hospital Peshawar, while the two more will be set up in Badabher area and a veterinary facility in Peshawar,” he said.

Dr Masoom said the WSSP and PDA workers caught stray dogs and brought them to facilities for sterilisation and rabies tests.

He said male dogs were neutered, while female dogs underwent spay procedure.

The director said the dogs were tagged with microchips, while a ribbon was tied to their collars for identification after vaccination and sterilisation.

He said the new method would not only reduce the threat to public health but would also protect rights of stray dogs through neutering, ownership and adoption.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2020