In 2010, Nias Island was declared as an area of Extraordinary Events (KLB) rabies with the death toll reached 26 people. The Government has conducted several programs including vaccination, elimination, and public awareness to liberate Nias Island from Rabies. However, there are obstacles and barriers in the implementation of the program in the field, including geography, lack of human resources, lack of facilities, and the continued need for public awareness and education about rabies in children.

Based on these, Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS) in collaboration with Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), Directorate General of Animal Health – Ministry of Agriculture, and the Livestock and Animal Health Service Office of North Sumatra Province held a “Workshop on Rabies Eradication Program Plan in Nias Island “which discusses the strategy and stages of rabies eradication in Nias Island. The workshop was held on 5-6 February 2014 at Hotel Soliga, Gunungsitoli.

The activities of the workshop consist of presentation from 4 speaker and the drafting of a strategic plan to eradicate rabies in Nias Island. The speakers are Mardiatmi Soewito, DVM. MVSc., representing the Director of Animal Health with topic “Legislation and Strategy of Rabies Eradication in Indonesia and particularly in Nias Island,”; Dr. Teguh Supriadi from Health Office of North Sumatra Province with topic “The Development and Countermeasures Program of Human Rabies in Nias Island”; Sunandar DVM. from CIVAS explained about the “Resulth of Baseline Data Survey on Nias Island”; as well as the Yusranaria Panjaitan DVM. from the Livestock and Animal Health Service Office of North Sumatra province with topic “Rabies Eradication Program Plan in Nias Island”.

The two-days workshop was attended by representatives of GARC, CIVAS, representatives of the Directorate of Animal Health, representatives of the Livestock and Animal Health Service Office of North Sumatra province, representatives of the Veterinary Center of Medan, as well as 22 participants from Health Office of Gunungsitoli City, Education Office of Gunungsitoli City, Agriculture, Livestock, Marine and Fisheries of Gunungsitoli City, Health Office of North Nias District, Education Office of North Nias District, Agriculture, Livestock, Plantation and Forestry of North Nias District, Health Office of West Nias, Agriculture Office of West Nias District, Health Office of South Nias District, Agriculture and Livestock Office of South Nias, Health Office of Nias District, Agriculture Office of Nias District. The workshop was also attended by three representatives of GARC namely Kim Doyle, Sarah Jayme, and Ning Villa, as well as representatives of CIVAS namely Tri Satya Putri Naipospos, DVM. M.Phil., Ph.D., M.D. Winda Widyastuti, DVM. M.Sc., and Ridvana Dwibawa DVM.

After hearing the direction of the Director of Animal Health, presentation of Directorate of Animal Health, Mayor Gunungsitoli, Livestock and Animal Health Service Office of North Sumatra, Health Office of North Sumatra and other sources, as well as the discussion develops during the course of this meeting, obtained the following formula results:

1. Note that Indonesia still has nine (9) rabies-free region either historically free or free after liberation. There are 24 provinces that still infected by rabies, however, in the infected province there are area (island or district / city) still rabies free. For the historically free area and / or district / city particularly those located in one island, which has a clear natural barrier, has the potential to performed a formal declaration of liberation.
2. The national and local governments are committed to support the Sumatra rabies free 2015 and Indonesian rabies free 2020. The Efforts made to achieve the targets required stages of eradication controls supported by the technical and non-technical aspect.
3. The strategy will be used in the eradication of rabies on the Nias Island including regulation, vaccination, integrated dog bite case management, information, education and communication (IEC), population control, HPR traffic control and surveillance.
4.  In order to streamline the implementation of rabies vaccination in Nias Island for the target at least 70% vaccination coverage can be achieved, the availability of vaccines in the appropiate amount and the right time, accordingly require intensive planning and coordination between national and local government.
5. In order to planning the implementation of control including vaccination, as referred in point 4 above, required the accuracy of HPR population data in each region. It is expected that the acquired baseline data will get a correction from each authorized agency to update the data.
6. To improve the coordination across sectors on the island of Nias, rabies Coordination Team (TIKOR) will be reactivated both at the district and sub-district level which will be reinforced by the decree of the Regent / Mayor.
7. Needs the local regulations or Regent / Mayor legislation that govern the integrated bite case management and maintenance of animal transmitting rabies, including the responsibility to provide the vaccine to the HPR pet. Sanctions can be applied if rules are not implemented.
8. For optimization of the eradication program, vaccination activities will be carried out by trained vaccinators and rabies cadres who will be selected by the head of services office that in charge of the local livestock and animal health functions. This cadres will get the endorsement through decree of the Regent / Mayor, respectively.
9. Each rabies cadre is responsible for recording and reporting the results of vaccination in 4 (four) villages which have been assigned by coordinator that appointed by the head of services office that in charge of livestock and animal health function. The implementation of vaccination activities carried out by a team that has been assigned by the coordinator.
10. The technical training related vaccination program for the rabies cadre will be conducted by Master Trainer Veterinarian from Livestock and Animal Health Service Office of North Sumatra and each coordinator in district / city. Cadre training is scheduled in March 2014.
11. Distribution of vaccine adjusted to the HPR population in each district / city through the agency in charge of livestock and animal health functions with the amount of vaccination operational costs Rp. 10,000 (ten thousand rupiahs) per head vaccinated.
12. In addition to the implementation of the vaccination program, post-vaccination surveillance will be conducted by officers from the Disease Investigation Center Medan, sending brain samples to the Disease Investigation Center Medan if there are bite cases, population control and monitoring and evaluation.
13. Handling bite case victim, will be performed by existing Rabies Center. Rabies Center officers need to obtain bite case management and lyssa case training. Each district / city prepare the requirement of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV).
14. Cross sectors coordination is needed if there are a dog bite case. Bite case victim will be handled by health office, and the animal bite handled by service office in charge of livestock and animal health for observation. The observations result will be used to assign the continuation of anti-rabies vaccine (VAR) for bite victim.
15. Information Education and Communication (IEC) programswill be carried out jointly between service in charge of livestock and animal health functions, education services, health services, religious leaders, community leaders and other organizations.
16. Quarantine station on the island of Nias is needed for HPR traffic control from other regions.