Thailand to rid off rabies within 2020

BANGKOK, September 13 (TNA) - The government, through the Ministry of Public Health, has targeted to gear up Thailand toward a rabies-free country by 2020. Thai Deputy Public Health Minister Sorawong Tienthong announced the target at the 4th Rabies in Asia Conference (RIACON), held in Thailand from September 11-13, to consolidate cooperation against the deadly disease among members of the Rabies in Asia Foundation, which include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal, Thailand, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Cambodia. When opening the three-day conference, coorganised by the Rabies in Asia Foundation and the Thai Ministry of Public Health, Sorawong acknowledged that worldwide death toll from rabies stands over 55,000 annually, or six hourly, with 95 per cent of those infected are in Asia and Africa, especially in China and India. The deputy minister cautioned that rabies have mostly spread through canines, whose population worldwide total 500 million currently. According to the deputy health minister, Thailand has successfully control rabies to a certain extent, with its death toll standing at less than 10 people since 2012, and the government has, therefore, targeted to totally eliminate the fatal disease from Thailand by 2020. (TNA)