PESHAWAR, Oct 15: The Pakistan Rabies Eradication Scientific Society on Friday stressed the need for vaccination of pets and announced that it would launch a drive against stray dogs.

The society's president Dr Janbaz Afridi said at a press conference at the press club that thousands of people died of rabies in different countries, including Pakistan. The main reason of a high number of rabies-related deaths was lack of awareness about how the disease was communicated from one person to another, he said. He said most of the rabies victims were children and pedestrians.

He said the problem was aggravated by the costliness of the vaccine. He said there was a shortage of rabies vaccine in government hospitals. He said his organization would extend medical services to those who were bitten by dogs or other animals carrying rabies.

Dr Afridi said the lives of patients infected by rabies could be saved But they could expire if they did not get proper treatment. He appealed to people to get their pet dogs and other animals vaccinated.

He said the society would soon launch, with the support of district and tehsil governments, a drive against stray dogs in streets, graveyards and other places. He said the government should provide quality anti-rabies injections, particularly to the centres in the far-flung areas.