Decision No. 193/QD-TTg dated February 13, 2017 of the Prime Minister on approval of the “National Program for Rabies Control and Elimination in the Period of 2017 - 2021”

DECISION

ON APPROVAL OF THE “NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR RABIES CONTROL AND ELIMINATION IN THE PERIOD OF 2017 - 2021”

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THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Law on Law on Animal Health dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 63/NQ-CP dated July 22, 2016, on the Government’s Action Program on implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolutions on the 5-year socio-economic development plan in the period 2016 - 2020;

After consideration of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Report No. 10890/TTr-BNN-TY dated December 21, 2016.

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the “National Program for Rabies Control and Elimination in the Period of 2017 - 2021” (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Program) with the main contents as follows:

1. Program managing and coordinating agencies:

a) Program managing agencies: The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development - the Ministry of Health.

b) Coordinating agencies: People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

2. Program's objectives

a) General objectives:

Basically controlling rabies on domestic dogs and human by 2021, progressing towards eliminating rabies.

b) Specific objectives

- Over 95% of communes, wards, towns, make the list of household raising dog.

- Over 85% dog population in communes, wards, towns have been vaccinated against rabies.

- Over 70% of provinces nationwide observed no rabies case in dogs in two consecutive years.

- Reducing by 60% of the number of provinces at high risk of rabies on human.

- Reducing by 60% of deaths due to rabies by 2021 compared to the number of rabies cases on average in 2011-2015 periods.

3. Tasks and solutions

a) Domestic dog management: Domestic dogs shall be managed in the direction that the People’s Committees at commune-level, heads of villages and hamlets shall make a List of households raising dogs and update information about the number of domestic dogs in each household in order to support the thorough rabies vaccination on the dogs. Dog owners shall notify their dog raising to heads of villages and hamlets; at the same time, make a commitment to captivity (or leash) and keep dogs on the family property.

b) Rabies vaccinations for dogs: The provincial- and district-level People’s Committees shall launch the peak month of vaccinations against rabies for dogs in March and April every year; the commune-level People’s Committees shall organize concentrated vaccinations in each hamlet, village or residential area and organize additional vaccinations for dogs that are not vaccinated in the previous round of vaccination against rabies or newborn dogs to ensure that the vaccination coverage reaches the target planned. The provincial-level People’s Committees shall consider and decide on supporting rabies vaccinations for domestic dogs in the areas from the local budgets in the implementation of the Program to control rabies.

c) Giving post-exposure prophylaxis for people: Consolidate, expand and increase the number of health care units providing rabies vaccine and antisera for preventive treatment, ensuring timely and effective, especially in high-risk areas. In principle, each district must have at least 01 health care unit equipped enough facilities and health workers have been trained properly on immunization according to regulations for establishment of immunization health care units; the provincial-level People’s Committees shall consider and decide on providing rabies vaccine free for poor people living in areas at high risk such as ethnic minorities, people living in remote areas or in extremely difficult areas, or provide pre-exposure prophylaxis free for people at high risk such as animal health workers who collect rabies samples, directly do laboratory testing of rabies samples or directly give rabies immunization for dogs.

d)  Complete legal documents and policies of the State: Study to amend and supplement regulations on sanctions against administrative violations in the field of animal health in the direction of increasing penalties for violations in control and prevention of rabies on animals. Propose the Government to consider and supplement more rabies vaccine for animals in the Program 30a to support poor districts in the national target program on reducing poverty for the period of 2017-2021. Set up a rabies vaccine fund managed by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for urgently encircling rabies epidemic outbreaks in dog population if happened, with a number of at least 500.000 doses of vaccine. Develop policies to support immunization against rabies (include pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis) for animal health workers, health workers and people who evolve in rabies prevention activities. Supplement health insurance policy for people bitten by dogs, and civil liability insurance for dog owners; policies to support rabies vaccine and antiserum for poor people living in high risk areas such as ethnic minorities, people living in remote areas or in extremely difficult areas.

dd) Communications: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health shall develop and provide communication materials for localities to organize the propaganda; coordinate with the central press agencies to carry out communication programs on rabies; coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training in the implementation of school communication education, the People's Committees at all levels to organize the implementation of the program of communication on rabies in the locality according to regulations.

e) Enhance capacity of surveillance system: Strengthen rabies detection surveillance with the support and participation of the community. Provide professional trainings for veterinarians and preventive medicine staff in order to improve the skills of epidemiological investigation and collection of epidemiological information on rabies in human and animals. Organize the collection and testing of samples to evaluate rabies circulation. On an annual basis, create a map of the distribution of dogs, epidemiological map of rabies disease in human and animals in order to identify areas at high risk for rabies with the aim to prioritize resources for rabies prevention.

g) Rabies outbreak handling and investigation: Investigate and handle rabies outbreaks in human and animals according to guideline in One Health approach, there must have cooperation between animal and human health sectors and ensure compliance with the provisions of laws; Commune-level People’s Committee shall set up a team to catch rabid dogs, dogs with signs of rabies and dogs roaming freely in the epidemic areas of rabies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall consider and provide support for rabies vaccine extracted from National Rabies Vaccine Fund to handle rabies outbreaks.

h) Enhance the laboratory diagnostic capacity: Enhance the laboratory diagnostic capacity of rabies disease for 04 key animal health laboratories and 02 key human health laboratories, satisfying requirements of the rabies control and prevention.

i) Strict control of dog transport: Strengthen the domestic dog transport quarantine and strictly address illegal transport of dogs across the borders in accordance with the provision of animal law.

k) Enhance professional capacity in rabies prevention and control: Standardize materials related to control and prevention of rabies on animal and human. Organize the training of skills on managing dog population; surveillance, investigation and diagnostics of rabies; training of skills on community communication about rabies; techniques to handle animal scratches and bites; post-exposure prophylaxis procedures; skills to catch rabid dogs and measures to handle animal rabies outbreaks.

l) Building rabies-safe areas: Encourage cities, towns and districts where are tourist sites to build rabies free areas to protect residents and tourists from rabies, and attract more tourists. Organize the assessment and recognition of communes, wards, districts, provinces and cities where no longer observe rabies epidemics.

m) Scientific research: Carry out necessary studies for the prevention and control of rabies that include: Research and produce domestic cell-culture rabies vaccine for human and animals; treatment regimens for rabies victims, propose a community-based rabies prevention model; , knowledge, attitudes and practices of management of dog owners and a number of relevant studies.

4. Financial mechanism

a) Central budget

- Central budget shall ensure sufficient budget for central bodies’ operations, including communications, training, workshops, national rabies vaccine reserve fund, strengthening laboratory testing and rabies epidemiological surveillance and mapping in humans and animals, building epidemic-free zones. The State budget allocated to the “National Program for Rabies Control and Elimination in the Period of 2017 - 2021” through annual budget allocated to the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health.

- Annually, the Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health shall build funding estimates for the Program implementation, synthesize it in the Ministry’s estimate and submit it to the Ministry of Finance for submission to the competent authority for approval.

b) Local budget

- Local budget shall ensure sufficient budget for local bodies’ operations, including communication work, technical training, management of dog populations and disease surveillance, organizing vaccination and building epidemic free zones.

- Annually, the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall decide to allocate funding for the Program's activities in their respective localities.

c) Funds self-assured by the people

- Owners of livestock and livestock establishments must ensure to pay for dogs and cats vaccination.

- People who have been bitten by a dog must ensure payment for preventive medical treatment.

d) Funding mobilized from other sources

Strengthen the call for countries, international organizations and donors to provide financial and technical support for rabies prevention activities in Vietnam, apart from the State funding sources.

Article 2. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Health and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities in, organizing rabies prevention activities on animals in accordance with the Program.

2. The Ministry of Health shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities in, organizing rabies prevention activities on human in accordance with the Program.

3. The Ministry of Education and Training shall coordinate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in organizing the implementation of school communication activities on rabies prevention.

4. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall coordinate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in organizing the implementation of communication activities on rabies prevention.

5. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment shall direct functional units to actively coordinate with relevant central and local agencies to organize the implementation of the contents according to the Program's regulations to ensure the Program’s objectives.

6. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities shall organize rabies prevention activities on animal and human in accordance with the Program.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. The Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development, the Minister of Health, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Education and Training, the Minister of Information and Communications, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities and heads of relevant agencies shall be responsible for implementation of this Decision./.

For the Prime Minister

The Deputy Prime Minister

Trinh Dinh Dung