Fight against rabies everyone’s responsibility, says SDMC deputy chairman

KUCHING (July 27): Combating rabies is the responsibility of everyone, said Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) deputy chairman Datu Buckland Bangik.

Buckland, who is also Deputy State Secretary, urged both government and non-government sectors to join forces in the fight against rabies.

“We must admit rabies is not a small matter and it is not ‘my problem’ or ‘yours’ — it is everybody’s problem. Everybody must come together to fight against the spread of this disease,” he said.

He said this at the launch of the ‘Stop Rabies 2024’ campaign by Boehringer Ingelheim here on Friday, where he represented Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also SDMC chairman.

He said that while achieving a rabies-free Sarawak by 2030 is unlikely, the goal can be reached with collective effort.

Thus, he urged all pet owners, particularly those with cats and dogs, to take full responsibility for their pets and ensure they are vaccinated.

Following its success in Serian last year, the campaign is expanding its outreach to three districts, namely Kota Samarahan, Lundu and Bau, in line with the effort to achieve a rabies-free Sarawak.

The campaign focuses on educational initiatives for school children, aiming to reach over 300 students from the districts and provide them with essential knowledge about rabies.

Boehringer Ingelheim is also conducting a free rabies vaccination drive for dogs and cats on July 27-28 in Kota Samarahan, Bau and Serian.

Its head of animal health (Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia) Dr Kam Kok Yen said the expanded approach with more partners underscores the vital importance of the fight against rabies.

“The recognition and commitment from multiple parties show that we can achieve more and make significant strides towards eliminating rabies,” he said.

The campaign is also in collaboration with Malaysia One Health University Network (MyOHUN), public health agencies and other strategic partners.