Friday, in order to combat canine rabies throughout the national territory, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Ministry of Health, officially launched the vaccination campaign against this disease. Over the next three months, nearly 800,000 dogs in the ten departments will be vaccinated, accounting for nearly 70% of the estimated 1.2 million estimated dogs living in Haiti.

Scheduled for a period of 3 months approximately, the campaign will be carried out in 3 stages. "For a month, operations will be conducted at the North, Northwest, Northeast; Then it will be the turn of the Artibonite, the Center, the West before ending in the great south," said Dr. Max milien, Head of the Animal Protection Unit at the Ministry.

For the conduct of the campaign, the Ministry of Agriculture received the World Bank support (WB) through the Strengthening Public Agriculture Services Project (RESEPAG). The World Bank has donated 26 million Gourdes to the Ministry. These funds will be used not only for the purchase of vaccines but also to pay the veterinary agents distributed in more than 6,000 brigades of two agents throughout the national territory.

Very involved in this campaign, the Atlanta Center for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control promises a budget surplus of 100,000 USD n addition to its financial contribution, the American institution provides a very significant technical support. The deployed agents will all have a smartphone connected to the Internet and coupled with a CDC program. This will allow immediate analysis and processing of data.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Alliance for Control of Rabies agree to argue that it is necessary to vaccinate this population on a continuous basis for at least five years to eradicate this disease.

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre