The Malawi government has hailed Mission Rabies for carrying out a campaign aimed at making Blantyre rabies free by the end of this year.
Acting director of the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development Dr Patrick Chikungwa said government is impressed since the campaign has been successful.
Chikungwa was speaking on Friday at Blantyre Sports Club during the closing of the initiative to eliminate rabies.
During the initiative which was launched on April 22 this year, Mission Rabies was vaccinating dogs and cats in the city as part of fulfilling its mission.
“Government is satisfied with the initiative and there is really a good progress of it and I think by December this year their mission to eliminate rabies in the city of Blantyre, will be fulfilled.
“Since this institution started operating in the country, we have seen a dramatic change of cases of rabies which is a successful story. On our own we are also doing everything possible to eliminate rabies cases as we offer mass vaccination to dogs and cats free of charge,” said Chikungwa.
Mission Rabies set their vaccination clinics in Mbayani, Michiru, Chilomoni, Nancholi, Misesa Nkolokoti, Soche, Limbe, Mapanga, Ndirande, Namiyango, Bangwe, Chigumula and Lunzu.
In Malawi, the project was launched in the year 2015 and since then the Mission Rabies team has been vaccinating over 35,000 dogs annually and thousands of people especially children have benefited from civic education on how to avoid dog bites and what they should do if they have been bitten by dogs.
