Rabies vaccination coverage at 91.45% in Jakarta: official

Jakarta, Indonesianpost.com – At least 41,826 rabies-transmitting animals (HPR) in Jakarta, or 91.45 percent of the targeted 45,735 HPR, have been administered the rabies vaccine as of September 2023, the Jakarta Food, Maritime, and Agricultural Security (KPKP) Service informed.

The vaccination was carried out by the KPKP Service in collaboration with the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Veterinary Association (PDHI), the Jakarta Animal Hospital (RSHJ), and a number of veterinarians and animal clinics.

“In this vaccination agenda, the regional government cannot work alone and needs to collaborate with communities,” the head of the Jakarta KPKP Service, Suharini Eliawati, said when contacted by ANTARA on Thursday.

She pointed out that Jakarta has been declared a rabies-free area since 2004, based on the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture Number 556/Kpts/PD.640/10/2004 concerning the declaration of the province of DKI Jakarta as rabies-free.

However, she highlighted that the area surrounding Jakarta is no longer rabies-free, which could increase the risk of rabies in the capital. Therefore, the Jakarta provincial government needs to implement strategies to maintain the city’s rabies-free status.

Besides vaccinating HPR, the government is also controlling the HPR population through sterilization. Data from the Jakarta KPKP Service shows that 9,170 or 91.7 percent of the targeted 10 thousand HPR have been sterilized as of September, Eliawati disclosed.

On World Rabies Day, which is observed on September 28 every year, she also reminded people to be responsible pet owners and provide regular vaccinations to their pets as well as pay attention to them.

Stray animals are also a matter of concern for the KPKP Service. To carry out vaccination and sterilization programs for such animals, it is pursuing collaboration with PDHI and several communities.

Eliawati highlighted the importance of pentahelix synergy among several stakeholders in order to maintain the rabies-free status of DKI Jakarta.

This is in line with the theme of “all for one, one health for all” promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to mark World Rabies Day this year.

“There is a unity called ‘one health.’ It involves all elements to be healthy, including the environment. Therefore, we need pentahelix synergy,” she remarked.