KARACHI, Aug 20: Despite the fact that there is an estimated 150,000 annual cases of dog bites and around 2,000 deaths from rabies each year in Pakistan, yet recording and reporting system for rabies is very poor, as it is not officially declared a reportable disease.
Since there exists lack of will to address the situation, one can witness 25 to 30 cases of dog bites attended daily at Karachi Civil Hospital alone, followed by almost equal number of victims brought to National Institute of Child Health, Lyari General Hospital and Orangi Qatar Hospital.
Expressing deep concern over rampant apathy towards the dog bite victims, physicians have reminded the authorities concerned of the frequent failure of sheep brain vaccine, currently being produced in Pakistan for use in post-exposure treatment of the former.
“Considering that rabies is a uniformly fatal, yet vaccine preventable infection, its management should be as per the guidelines of the World Health Organization,” doctors said while mentioning that sheep brain vaccine has been declared obsolete and not recommended by the WHO.
It may not be out of context here to mention that the NICH on basis of its experience, last year, had reported anti-rabies vaccines not only to be poor in efficacy but also having number of serious side effects.
The situation led to restriction in the administration of anti-rabies vaccines in the backdrop of the fact that it was a major shift in the management of dog bite cases since the inception of Pakistan.
Acknowledging that new cellular vaccines, being used all over the world, are found more effective and safe, doctors regretted that high cost of the very vaccines is preventing many of the parents to procure the same.
Coordinator Sindh Rabies Task Force Dr Nasim Salahuddin sought concerted efforts on part of public and private sectors for the establishment of the cell culture vaccine and immunoglobulin production to ensure quality survival of local children.
She also recommended to establish an active surveillance system across the country. Moreover, she suggested that provincial and district rabies centres should be set up for the purpose of reporting and treating dog.—APP