by RV Crisologo

Naga City (6 October) -- The Department of Health (DOH) conducted a one-day orientation and planning workshop on Rabies Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Schoolchildren last October 4 at Villa Caceres Hotel, this city.

The forum was participated in by the members of the Camarines Sur Provincial Rabies Task Force and the Cabusao; Sipocot; Libmanan, Camarines Sur (CaSiLi) Inter-Local Health Zone and other Rabies Control and Prevention Stakeholders.in the province.

The workshop was aimed for the relaunching of an aggressive campaign for a Rabies Free Bicol.

In the campaign, the Rabies Task Force led by the DOH, with member agencies composed of DepEd, DA, DILG, LGUs and other line agencies will require children, 5 years old to 9 years old, to a free exposure rabies vaccination, aside from the mass vaccination of dogs and integration of rabies prevention in the elementary school curriculum.

DOH Center for Health Development Bicol regional director Nestor Santiago said the project will be piloted at Cabusao, Camarines Sur, "for said town has the highest number of rabies cases in the region in the past 3 years."

Santiago said that other strategies will be adopted such as training of teachers in Cabusao town who will be tapped for the project; responsible pet ownership; elimination of astray dogs; registration of dogs and local government legislation to fight rabies.