Taman Malihah pilot site for oral rabies vaccination, nearly 700 dogs covered in Matang, Batu Kawa and Desa Wira

Dr Stephen speaking to reporters during the launch of the oral rabies vaccination exercise at Taman Malihah multipurpose hall in Kuching on Apr 15.

By Amanda L

KUCHING, Apr 15: Sarawak’s oral rabies vaccination (ORV) exercise has reached nearly 700 dogs in Matang, Batu Kawa and Desa Wira, with Taman Malihah designated as the pilot site for a potential Statewide rollout, according to Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD) Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.

“The oral rabies vaccination programme, now in its third day, complements ongoing injection based efforts particularly in managing unowned and free roaming dogs that are difficult to capture.

“Many stray dogs are difficult to approach as they tend to run away or avoid unfamiliar people, making conventional vaccination methods less effective,” he told reporters when officiating the programme at Taman Malihah multipurpose hall today.

Dr Stephen handing an oral rabies vaccine bait to a resident’s dog as part of the rabies control exercise in Taman Malihah on Apr 15.

Taman Malihah was selected as the pilot site following reported rabies fatalities in the area, with authorities aiming to develop a scalable model before wider implementation across Sarawak.

He said that since rabies was first detected in Sarawak in 2017, the State has recorded 93 human cases with 86 fatalities including three deaths this year alone, one of which occurred in Taman Malihah.

Against this backdrop, Dr Rundi stressed that rabies remains a life threatening disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, urging the public to act immediately after a dog bite by thoroughly washing the wound and seeking prompt treatment at a hospital.

He said the State government is targeting zero rabies related deaths by 2027, with oral vaccination seen as a critical tool in expanding coverage among the stray dog population.

Dr Rundi added that the estimated dog population in areas including Satok, Desa Wira, Batu Kawa and Taman Malihah stands at about 3,000, with authorities aiming to vaccinate as many as possible through the current exercise.

“A total of 692 vaccine baits have been distributed over the past two days, with the programme expected to scale up toward a target of between 1,800 and 2,000 doses.

“If the pilot proves successful, the initiative will be expanded to other divisions across Sarawak,” he added.

Despite achieving over 80 per cent vaccination coverage in certain areas through efforts by the Immune Belt Enforcement Team (IBET), challenges remain due to cross border movement of animals and a growing stray population.

“If we can demonstrate success here in Taman Malihah, it can serve as a model for other areas. Our priority is to prevent deaths, even if eliminating dog bites entirely may be difficult,” he said. — DayakDaily