DOH to tame rabies by 2020
By Carisa A. Paraz, MD, Contributing Writer
The Philippines ranks sixth highest in rabies incidence worldwide, but the Department of Health hopes to dramatically reduce the rates of infection in the coming years and wipe it out by 2020.
Citing the latest data, Health undersecretary Dr. Evelyn Nieto said about 250 Filipinos, mostly children 15 years old and younger, die of rabies infection arising from animal bites. "Even if rabies has the highest case fatality rate of any known infectious disease, it continues to be a much neglected disease," said Nieto at the joint celebration of the First World Rabies Day and National Homeless Animals' Day on September 8 at Tiendesitas in Pasig City.
The celebration was spearheaded by the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) in partnership with Novartis Healthcare Philippines, manufacturer of Rabipur and TD-Pur. Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap also graced the ceremonies.
Nieto lamented that in 2006, only 90 percent of victims of animal bites received the rabies vaccine despite the DOH target of 100-percent coverage.
But beyond increasing vaccine coverage for animal-bit victims, the DOH is working to eliminate the problem by 2020 through strict implementation of RA 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007. The law, authored by Senator Pia Cayetano, requires dog owners to register their pets, have them regularly vaccinated against rabies, prevent them from roaming the streets, and assume responsibility for the treatment of individuals that may be bitten by their dogs.
"Pet owners are expected to be more responsible because of the penalties prescribed by the new law for pet owners who violate the provisions of the anti-rabies law," explained Nieto.
The law also mandates the implementation of a National Rabies Prevention and Control Program by a multiagency and multisectoral committee chaired by the BAI. Among its activities should be mass vaccination of dogs; establishment of a central database system for registered and vaccinated dogs; impounding, field control, and disposition of unregistered, stray and unvaccinated dogs; conduct of information and education campaign on the prevention and control of rabies; provision on preexposure treatment to high-risk personnel and postexposure treatment to animal-bite victims; and provision of free routine immunization for schoolchildren in areas where there is high incidence of rabies
In line with the law's mandate, the DOH has launched an initiative to make the Philippines rabies-free by 2020 through the collaborative efforts of government agencies, nongovernment organizations, and pharmaceutical companies.
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Mental disorders in Asia-Pacific rising
By Park Chan-Kyong, Agence France-Presse
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea
The incidence of mental-health problems is rising rapidly in the Asia-Pacific, putting a major burden on individuals and societies. "Mental and neurological disorders are a major issue in terms of the absolute number of patients and the diseases' burden," said Wang Xiangdong, a World Health Organization adviser on mental health.
According to a WHO report, mental and neurological disorders in 2002 accounted for 17.6 percent of the total disease burden in the WHO's Western Pacific region, with depression alone responsible for more than six percent. There were about 331,000 suicides in the region that year, the latest for which full data are available. Worldwide, suicide accounts for 33 percent of all violent deaths among men and 57 percent among women, the WHO has said.
"They (mental and neurological disorders) create a major and unnecessary burden for individuals, communities and societies," the WHO's regional committee for the Western Pacific said in the report. The committee held its annual meeting in South Korea's Jeju island in August.
Regional director Shigeru Omi, in a speech, said the Western Pacific "continues to bear a disproportionate share of the world's suicide burden."
The report urges member states to note the "increasing trend of mental, behavioral, neurological, and substance abuse." It calls on member states to continue considering mental health as a priority "and to continue to increase political, financial, and technical commitment in order to address mental, behavioral, and neurological diseases."
Wang said he believed the rise in the incidence of mental disease was faster than in other regions, but added it was not a priority for most member states.
The allocation for mental and neurological disorders is less than one percent of the total health budget in half of the countries and areas in the Western Pacific. A WHO survey conducted between 2001 and 2003 found that 76 to 85 percent of mental patients in less developed countries had received no treatment in the previous year, compared with 35 to 50 percent in developed countries.
"We cannot expect their health budgets to jump to match the disease's burden but clearly, one percent is not sufficient," Wang said. He said many countries in the region lacked mental-health policies or legislation. Many people believe mental disease is a remote risk until friends or family suddenly fall victim.
Social stigma cause many people in the region not to seek help and make the problems worse, Wang said. "Just like hypertension, you need full and continuous treatment for those diseases. Otherwise, you cannot prevent relapses. That's a very important point."
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