The Society for Animal Rights Protection (SARP) has marked the 2025 edition of World Rabies Day with a special focus on women in the informal sector, engaging traders, canteen operators, and artisans on strategies for rabies prevention and control.
The sensitization event, held at the Local Government Training School, Secretariat, Ibadan, attracted about 300 participants drawn from different women groups across Oyo State.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of SARP, Dr Ibikunle Faramade emphasized that the global target to achieve zero cases of rabies by 2030 was only five years away, stressing the need for sustained efforts at all levels.
Guest speakers at the programme underscored the crucial role of public awareness, mass vaccination of dogs, and prompt medical attention to bite victims as key to eradicating the deadly disease.
Delivering the keynote address, Chief (Dr.) Mrs. F. O. Ajasin, Director of Veterinary Services, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Apata, Ibadan, spoke on the theme “The Role of Women and Children in the Eradication of Rabies Globally.”
Dr. Ajasin described women and children as major change agents in community health advocacy, noting that they often serve as primary caregivers and influencers within households
Also speaking, Dr. Aderonke Ajav, Director of University Health Services, University of Ibadan, discussed the “Manifestation of Rabies in Humans and Post Exposure Prophylaxis.” She highlighted the importance of early medical intervention after dog bites and advised victims to avoid self-treatment.
In his presentation on “Overview of Rabies Epidemiology in Oyo State,” Dr. S. A. Akibu called for improved data collection and disease surveillance, describing rabies as a neglected tropical disease that thrives in low-awareness environments.
Dr. Ifeoluwapo Akanbi, who delivered a hands-on session on “Ending Rabies in Our Communities: What You Need to Know,” urged participants to act as community advocates by spreading correct information about rabies prevention.
The speakers collectively recommended stronger awareness campaigns through the mass media, especially radio, which remains the most effective channel for reaching grassroots communities.
They also called for free and systematic vaccination of dogs across rural and peri-urban areas, using a house-to-house model similar to the national polio eradication campaign.
Other recommendations included improved surveillance, better disease reporting, free post-exposure vaccination for all dog bite victims, and the establishment of new veterinary clinics across the state.
The group further urged the Oyo State Government to establish a dedicated veterinary diagnostic center to enhance animal health services, adding that implementing these measures would help make rabies a disease of the past.
