LAHORE - The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Thursday organised a five-day training workshop on "One health approach towards control of rabies" started at its city campus.

The workshop, initiated under its project titled 'In-service Training Facility of Advance Veterinary Education and Professional Development for Veterinary Professionals (IVPD)', has been funded by the Punjab government in collaboration with Indus Hospital Karachi and World Health Organisation under the project Zero by 30.

Under the initiative, efforts are under way to declare the country 'Rabies Free by 2030'.

In-charge Infectious Disease Department Indus Hospital Karachi Ms Naseem Salahuddin presided over the inaugural session of the workshop while Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masood Rabbani, Director IVPD Project Dr Hafsa Zenab, In-charge Pet Centre Prof Dr Asim Khalid, Chairman Department of Epidemiology Dr Hassan Mushtaq and large number of faculty members and students from UVAS sub-campuses were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Naseem Salahuddin hoped that with the combined efforts of UVAS and Indus Hospital Karachi, rabies control programme would successfully be run in Lahore. Dr Hafsa Zaneb spoke about the objectives of the IVPD project for uplift of veterinary education and professional development.

Meanwhile, Ms Naseem Salahuddin along with Pro VC Prof Dr Masood Rabbani met UVAS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha in his office.

The purpose of this activity is to implement the scientific methods for prevention of rabies by source control. Its other objectives includes mass dog vaccination, educational awareness of rabies prevention in the community through talks, flyers, posters and banners and encourage communities to maintain cleanliness of their environment, development of a team that will help in future to eliminate dog mediated rabies.

Various aspects would be discussrd in five days event related to prevention of rabies, introduction of one-health approach, experience of rabies-free Karachi project, community engagement and education, dog count survey, dog catching using control poles etc.

Video massage of Dr Bernadette Abela Ridder on neglected zoonotic diseases and Mr Daniel Steward on animal behaviour were also presented during workshop.