Latest news with #ARV
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Stray dog bites 10 people in Mettupalayam
COIMBATORE: A stray dog bit ten people at Mani Nagar in Mettupalayam on Thursday night. All of them received treatment in Mettupalayam Government Hospital. While most of them sustained minor injuries, a couple had more severe bite marks and were examined by a surgeon. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They have since been declared healthy. A health official in the Mettupalayam GH stated that all the victims were vaccinated against rabies. "People with minor bites were administered anti-rabies vaccine (ARV), and those with severe bite marks were given an additional rabies immunoglobulin (RIG). On Friday morning, they were examined by a surgeon. They have been declared safe. No abnormalities have been reported. All ten people were treated as outpatients," the official added. Meanwhile, based on the direction of Mettupalayam municipality commissioner R Amudha, municipality workers started to capture stray dogs for sterilising them. Around five stray dogs were captured on Friday. There is no animal birth control (ABC) centre in Mettupalayam municipality. Recently, the council passed a resolution to establish an ABC centre.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Chennai corporation to launch vaccination, sterilisation drive for stray dogs after five year gap
After a five-year hiatus, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is gearing up to launch a large-scale campaign to vaccinate and sterilise over 1.80 lakh stray dogs across all 200 city divisions. The renewed initiative comes in the wake of mounting public complaints and rising incidents of stray dog attacks in the city. The last such campaign was carried out in 2020. Since then, the GCC has faced increasing criticism for failing to address the growing stray dog population and the associated public safety concerns. 'The planning is almost complete, and payments have already been made for procuring vaccines and essential drugs needed for the Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programmes,' said J. Kamal Hussain, Veterinary Officer of the GCC. 'We will outsource the manpower required to capture and vaccinate the dogs. The campaign will begin within a month.' According to official data, Chennai recorded 31,000 dog bite cases in 2023, and this year, around 2,500 new cases are being reported each month. 'Vaccination and sterilisation remain our only effective tools to prevent such incidents. Dogs suffering from other diseases or parasite infections will also be treated,' Hussain added. The issue was also raised in a recent council meeting, where opposition AIADMK councillors criticised the administration's handling of the situation. 'The State machinery is behaving like a sleeping giant. Chennai is falling behind other Indian cities in controlling its stray dog population,' said J. John, AIADMK councillor from Ward 84. 'In areas like East Avenue Road, Korattur Station Road, and Bajanai Koil Street, stray dogs are seen in large numbers. Of every ten dogs, the civic body manages to catch only two,' the councillor said. Residents from areas such as Tirumalai Nagar in Kolathur echoed similar concerns. 'Women and children are afraid to even walk on the streets,' said D. Neelakannan, president of the Tamil Nadu Alliance of Residents Welfare Associations. 'ABC and ARV initiatives should be conducted frequently and without delay.' A resident of Janakiram Colony in Arumbakkam highlighted the risks faced by two-wheeler riders. 'At night, dogs chase the headlights of vehicles, startling unsuspecting riders. Many now avoid interior roads as a precaution.' However, animal rights activists urged a more nuanced understanding of the issue. 'No dog attacks without provocation,' said one activist. 'The solution lies in regular and sustained vaccination and sterilisation drives. The real question is whether these are being implemented consistently,' the activist said. Experts also stressed the need for scientific studies on canine behaviour. 'Dogs are social but territorial animals. The government must allocate funding for behavioural studies and strengthen ongoing ABC and ARV programmes,' the activist added. With plans now in motion, Chennai residents are hopeful that the upcoming campaign will offer a sustainable solution to the city's stray dog menace.
Eyewitness News
15-05-2025
- Health
- Eyewitness News
Plans in place to get another 1.1m people on ARVs by end 2025
CAPE TOWN - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says plans to get another 1.1 million people on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment before the end of the year are not under threat since the withdrawal of the United States' PEPFAR funding. Motsoaledi said the government has already reached almost half that number despite claims from some quarters that there's no evidence to support this. However, Motsoaledi said he has nothing to gain from being untruthful about the data. The Health Minister said a false narrative has been created that the country's HIV/Aids treatment programme is on the brink of collapse since the withdrawal of US funding in January. "Under no circumstances will we allow this massive work performed over a period of more than a decade and a half to collapse and go up in smoke because President [Donald] Trump has decided to do what he's done." While acknowledging the loss of over 8,000 healthcare workers who were paid from PEPFAR funding, Motsoaledi said every effort is being made to ensure patients receive their medication from other clinics and to train more clinicians to assist them. "We procure 90% of our ARVs from our own government fiscus, and this is supported by 10% from the Global Fund." Motsoaledi said at the current rate, he's confident the government will reach the target of the 'close the gap' campaign by the end of the year.
The Citizen
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
ARV defaulters urged to resume treatment
The KZN Department of Health is on a quest to find nearly 117 000 people on antiretrovirals (ARVs) and bring them back to treatment by the end of the year. Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said the province has about 1.5 million people who are stable on ARVs, saying that the department is now on a mission to find thousands more who have stopped treatment for various reasons. Simelane explained that the province is participating in the newly-launched Close the Gap campaign, a collaboration between the National Department of Health and the South African National Aids Council. Speaking on the Department's KZN Health Chat multimedia programme last Friday, Simelane said the campaign aimed to reach 1.1 million people across the country who know their HIV status, but are not on treatment. The MEC said although more than 200 000 people in KZN are estimated to be lost to treatment, they have set a target of finding 117 616 of them by year-end and returning them to care. 'We are determined to bring people back on treatment. As we always say, no one should ever die just because they've stopped taking medication that can suppress HIV to the point of being undetectable. We know that some people stop taking their ARVs due to treatment fatigue, which we strongly discourage. In some ways, we are victims of our success as a province. People take their medication until they feel so well that they think they can stop,' she said. Simelane added that they only feel better because of the treatment. 'So, we urge everyone to stick to their treatment and for those who've stopped, to come back and re-enrol. If we don't, resistance can develop, making treatment less effective and putting our lives at risk,' she said. She also cautioned that excessive alcohol use can lead to defaulting on treatment. 'Being a teetotaler doesn't make you ibhari (a bumpkin) or unfashionable. There is nothing wrong with not drinking. But if you must drink, do so in moderation – especially if you are on ARVs. Drinking too much makes it harder to keep track of time, let alone remember to take your medication. We plead with our compatriots to take care and protect their health,' she said The MEC said while the department intensifies its Close the Gap efforts, anyone wishing to return to the ARV programme is encouraged to visit their local clinic and speak to a healthcare worker. HAVE YOUR SAY Like the South Coast Fever's Facebook page At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Bites up, but dog count dips in corpn survey
Madurai: Amid growing complaints of stray dog menace, and dog bite casing hitting a seven-year high in the city, the latest scientific census by Madurai corporation has pegged stray dog population at 38,348, significantly lower than previous estimates. An RTI reply had in 2021 placed the number at 53,826 in 2020, while a 2012 survey had recorded 47,573 dogs. Dog bite cases within corporation limits reached 14,130 by Nov 2024, the highest since 2018, pointing to the urgent need for effective stray management. Corporation officials, however, insist that the March 2025 enumeration is the most accurate to date, as it was conducted using scientific methods in collaboration with Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) and animal welfare NGO Seeshah's Kennel Foundation. The new figure for Madurai is also lower than that of Trichy corporation, which recently published a 2025 survey placing its stray dog population at 43,767. City health officer (CHO) P Indhira told TOI that Madurai's survey was carried out in all 100 wards covering five city zones. The initial groundwork and mapping were done between March 5 and 14, after which 200 student volunteers and corporation staff were trained for field enumeration. From March 17 to 23, around 300 surveys were conducted, with data collected from an average of 31% of roads in each ward. The methodology included sampling, grid mapping, training of enumerators, and multi-stage data collection. "We have done a proper survey and this is the most scientific survey. The dog count may have decreased after Covid pandemic due to decrease in number of feeders," said the demographic breakdown revealed that 15% of the dogs were puppies (under three months), and 85% adults. Among the adults, 83% were aged over one year, and 17% were juveniles between 4 and 11 months. Male dogs accounted for 65% of the population and females, 35%, with 36% of the female dogs observed to be lactating. About 83% of the stray dogs were found to be healthy, while the remaining 17% suffered from injuries, skin infections, or other visible corporation has now announced plans to intensify sterilization and population control efforts at hotspots. Officials say the data will guide the future rollout of Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programmes across the city.
