Fatshimétrie, September 28, 2024
In the heart of the capital, Kinshasa, a crucial workshop was held this Saturday on the implementation of the national action plan for the integrated fight against human rabies transmitted by dogs (PANLIRA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This event, opened by the Secretary General for Fisheries and Livestock, Ms. Mbangu Kikumbi Pascaline, sparked lively debates and reflections on the urgency of implementing this plan developed since 2021.
In her introductory speech, Ms. Mbangu Kikumbi expressed her desolation at the delay in the implementation of this essential plan. She underlined the commitment of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, in collaboration with other sectoral ministries, to mobilize the stakeholders concerned to accelerate its implementation. According to her, it is unthinkable that this plan remains pending when so much effort has been made in its development.
The workshop provided a platform for collective reflection on the obstacles hindering the implementation of PANLIRA and on the solutions that could be considered to address them. Ms. Mbangu Kikumbi took this opportunity to welcome the vision of the Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi, who promotes universal health coverage, in line with the overall strategy of the government led by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa in the field of health, in particular by facilitating access to vaccines for all Congolese.
Under the evocative theme of “Breaking the boundaries of rabies”, this workshop highlighted the importance of overcoming the challenges that persist around the implementation of PANLIRA. On this World Rabies Day, the Democratic Republic of Congo is committed, with the support of its partners, to carrying out preventive actions and raising awareness among the population in order to effectively combat this scourge.
In conclusion, the advocacy workshop on the implementation of PANLIRA highlighted the crucial issues related to public health in the DRC and highlighted the urgent need to act in a collective and coordinated manner to protect the population against rabies transmitted by dogs. This event marks an important step towards better management of this major health problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Fatshimétrie remains vigilant in the face of this major problem and will continue to closely monitor future advances in the fight against rabies, in the hope of increased mobilization and a more effective public health policy for the well-being of all Congolese citizens.