HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, September 28: Sonitpur celebrated the closing event of its week-long rabies awareness program on Saturday, in alignment with World Rabies Day 2024. Organized by the District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, the event brought together various stakeholders to discuss and promote rabies prevention.
The meeting, attended by Deputy CEO of Zila Parishad Ganesh Chandra Deka, featured guest speakers including Dr Jyoti B Dutta, an esteemed Professor & Head of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the College of Veterinary Science in Khanapara, who emphasized the importance of rabies as a social responsibility. Dr Prasanta Kumar Roy, the District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer, chaired the session.
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Other notable speakers included Dr Prasanta Kumar Boro, Dr Anupam Sarmah, Dr Rupak Baruah, Dr Subhalakshmi Bora, and Dr Mihir Mazgaonkar, who discussed the current rabies scenario, the behavior of dogs, and the lack of public awareness, particularly in vulnerable forest fringe areas. The discussions highlighted the urgent need for identifying rabies hotspots and integrating awareness into school curriculums to enhance community involvement.
In line with this year’s World Rabies Day theme, “Breaking Rabies Boundaries,” innovative approaches were introduced to foster a healthy dog-human relationship among school children through art in Tarajuli T E Community awareness camps were also held, featuring street plays performed by Mass Communication students from Tezpur University.
Folk-based awareness songs, led by Pashusakhis Rina Basumatary and Bhagyashree Narzary, were launched to encourage communities to seek medical treatment for dog bites in Assamese and Bodo. The event saw participation from officials across various departments, reinforcing a “One Health” approach to tackle rabies. Additionally, a mega pet vaccination program and pet parent meet were conducted at the State Veterinary Hospital in Tezpur, ensuring comprehensive efforts in rabies prevention and awareness.
