Alarming rise in dog bite deaths

Nadira Gunatilleke

The number of deaths reported due to dog bites during the last two months is 10 while 56 cases were reported in 2007. This is an alarming increase which is mainly due to the increase in dogs in Sri Lanka which exceeds three million, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry sources said.

The Government has taken a policy decision not to kill dogs as a method to reduce the stray dog population. The source said 20 per cent of the three million dogs are stray and 80 per cent domestic dogs.

But from this 80 per cent, only 10 per cent of dogs are looked after well and owned by real dog owners. The rest of the 80 per cent are treated like stray dogs causing health problems to the public, he said.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spent Rs. 500 million during last year to treat patients bitten by dogs while 17,000 injections were used during 2006. The number of dog bites in 2006 is 150,000.

But there is a significant improvement in last year and the ministry spent only Rs. 225 million to treat persons bitten by dogs last year, the source said. From the 2008 budget, the ministry allocated Rs. 100 million to eradicate rabies. Funds have been used to implement a countrywide dog sterilisation programme which has covered the Central Province.

The sterilisation programme in the Sabaragamuwa Province commenced a few days back and the programme will be extended to the Western and North Western Provinces soon. The programme targets to sterilise all three million dogs in Sri Lanka, the source added.

The ministry has also made arrangements to provide Rs.10 million to each Province to implement the programme. Further financial assistance will be provided to the provinces if required.