PMC launches anti-rabies vaccination drive
PMC health department has appointed NGO Universal Animal Welfare Society to conduct the anti-rabies vaccination of stray canines across all 15 wards in the city
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday launched a mass immunisation campaign for canines in the city. The drive aims to control the spread of rabies by vaccinating stray and community dogs and spread public awareness, said officials.
Naval Kishore Ram, Pune municipal commissioner and administrator, inaugurated the programme to start the drive on Friday. Additional municipal commissioners MJ Pradeep Chandran and Omprakash Divate, Joint commissioner animal husbandry Dr Sheetalkumar Mukane and health chief Dr Nina Borade attended the event.
The initiative is part of the national action plan, for elimination of dog-mediated rabies, launched by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the ministry of health and family welfare with the goal of eliminating rabies from India by 2030, said officials.
PMC health department has appointed NGO Universal Animal Welfare Society to conduct the anti-rabies vaccination of stray canines across all 15 wards in the city.
According to civic officials, the canine population has reduced from 315,000 in 2018 to 179,940 stray dogs in 2023.
A senior health official, on anonymity, said, “Ten teams will conduct the drive with daily target to cover 350 canines, we expect to vaccinate over 1.09 lakh stray dogs in a year.”
