The Government is spending a total of Rs. 800 million annually to address the issue of stray dogs, including vaccination and sterilisation programmes, Deputy Health Minister, Hansaka Wijemuni, said in Parliament today.
Providing a cost breakdown, the Deputy Minister said Sri Lanka is spending Rs. 280 million to provide medicines for persons attacked by rabies-infected stray dogs.
He said that Rs. 180 million was spent on vaccinating animals, adding that the programme needs to be systematised.
Noting that Rs. 200 million was being spent to sterilise animals, Hansaka Wijemuni said, however, the ministry needs to review the outcome, as it does not seem to have reduced the animal population.
The Deputy Minister of Health further said Sri Lanka reports between 20-30 deaths due to rabies per year.
“20 years ago, Sri Lanka reported nearly 300 rabies-related deaths. In countries such as Thailand and Latin America, it has been reduced to 1 to 2 deaths or zero cases per year. These countries have achieved this through animal control and a vaccination programme,” he explained.
The Deputy Minister added that the priority of the Health Ministry regarding stray dogs is to treat rabies. (Newswire)