Call Center Launched for Info on Dog and Snake Bite Vaccination
Vijayawada:A call center has been launched to provide information and precautionary care for post-dog and snake bite cases, as well as to inform residents about vaccine availability at the nearest government hospitals in Andhra Pradesh. The toll-free number for the service is 15400.
Health special chief secretary M.T. Krishna Babu, along with director A. Siri and other officials, unveiled a poster for the call center under the joint aegis of the National Center for Disease Control, Government of India, and the United Nations Development Programme on Friday.
The call center will operate 24/7 in English and Hindi, and from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Telugu. Health authorities noted that rabies, a zoonotic disease, claims an estimated 20,000 lives in India each year, despite the fact that timely post-exposure vaccination can prevent such fatalities. In 2023, Andhra Pradesh reported 212,146 dog bite cases.
The state government has developed a comprehensive action plan for the elimination of dog-mediated rabies, aligned with the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE), aiming for completion by 2030. Authorities emphasize that eliminating rabies is a critical public health goal. Additionally, the newly established Animal Vaccine Information Network—a digitized, real-time information platform—will strengthen the supply chain and utilization of animal vaccines.
