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Community, officials campaign against rabies
Despite the fact that Jakarta has been a rabies-free city since 2004, animal rights activists and the city administration are calling on animal lovers and residents who regularly come into contact with animals to remain vigilant and be aware of rabies prevention efforts
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espite the fact that Jakarta has been a rabies-free city since 2004, animal rights activists and the city administration are calling on animal lovers and residents who regularly come into contact with animals to remain vigilant and be aware of rabies prevention efforts.
To commemorate World Rabies Day, dozens of pet dogs, cats and their owners, along with animal rights activists and high-ranking officials from the city administration and the central government gathered at Langsat Park in South Jakarta on Sunday to promote the campaign against rabies.
Jakarta Health Agency head Dien Emmawati said that the campaign was part of the city administration's effort to maintain the capital's status as a rabies-free city.
'We've been rabies-free since 2004, so what we need to do is maintain the status, which is not an easy task. We have to stay alert because our neighboring cities such as Banten [province] and Depok are not yet free of rabies,' Dien said on the sidelines of the one-day event.
She admitted that the agency was still recording hundreds of bite cases in the capital annually, but none were considered dangerous.
'We have been recording 200 to 300 dog bite cases annually but none of them carried dangerous risks thanks to our surveillance base [program]. Those who were bitten or scratched by dogs were immediately taken to the nearest Puskesmas [community health center] to get first aid. We transferred them to the referred hospitals for rabies prevention: Sulianti Saroso Hospital [North Jakarta] and Tarakan Hospital [Central Jakarta],' she said.
The director general for disease control at the Health Ministry, Agus Purwadianto, said that the ministry recorded 65,097 prone-to-rabies bite cases in the country in 2013, down from 84,750 cases in 2012.
'We are focusing on freeing the country from rabies by 2020, a target also set by our Southeast Asian counterparts,' he said.
During the event, Agus encouraged the city administration to use public facilities to promote the campaign.
Prominent writer and animal lover Alberthiene Endah said that people's awareness on the matter had improved in the past few years.
'A few years ago, people still saw their dogs as mere pets. But nowadays, they see their dogs as part of the family. They allow their dogs to live inside the house and tying up dogs is now seen as a form of animal abuse. As an animal lover, I am quite happy with the development,' said Alberthiene, who owns eight dogs, including an Alaskan Malamute.
Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama, who attended the event, promised to turn Jakarta into an animal-friendly city.
'A civilized city is a city that is also friendly to animals. Let's make Jakarta a safe city for pets,' he said, adding that the city would close down pet shops and clinics that have been reported for abuse or dubious services.
Last year, the city saved more than 60 monkeys used in street acts, locally known as topeng monyet, and placed them in a quarantine facility.
Jakarta Fisheries and Agriculture Agency head Darjamuni said that the monkeys were recently set free in Cikepuh, Sukabumi.
' JP/Sita Dewi
