World Rabies Day will be Celebrated in Bali

Denpasar - The Indonesian government will celebrate the World Rabies Day in Bali. This event was initiated to free the island from rabies which has claimed 10 human lives. The World Rabies Day will be celebrated on November 4, 2009, in Tabanan district, Bali. Attending the event will be Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih and Agriculture Minister Suswono.

Plans of the event were revealed by Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health (PPLP) of the Ministry of Health, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, on Thurday (29/10) in Denpasar. According to Tjandra, this step was taken to free Bali from rabies because Bali is a main tourist destination for international tourists coming to Indonesia.

Since rabies emerged in Bali in 2009, it has spread to five districts/municipalities. The first outbreak occurred in Badung district and then had spread to Denpasar city, Tabanan district, Bangli district, and Karangasem district.

During the World Rabies Day event, the government will open rabies centers in hospitals and community health centers in all districts/municipalities in Bali. Also, there will be mass anti-rabies vaccination (VAR) for both human and animals.

Tjandra explained that 20 provinces in Indonesia are still infected with rabies. Rabies is also present in several countries of the world, such as the United States of America and Thailand.

Source: Detiknews