KUCHING: Sarawak continues to strengthen efforts to curb rabies through enhanced public awareness, expanded animal vaccination programmes and reinforced preventive measures to achieve the target of zero rabies-related deaths by 2030.

Sarawak Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said public awareness regarding standard operating procedures (SOPs) after being bitten or scratched by animals still needs to be improved, particularly in seeking immediate treatment and completing the full course of anti-rabies vaccination.

“The level of public awareness regarding SOPs, including obtaining immediate treatment after being bitten and completing the full dosage of anti-rabies vaccines following exposure, still needs to be improved as it remains one of the main challenges in achieving the zero-death target by 2030,” he said.

He said this during his ministerial winding-up session at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Tuesday.

According to him, efforts to curb rabies are also being empowered through continuous monitoring of the disease's transmission among animals, especially involving free-roaming and unvaccinated dogs.

“Although the rabies positivity rate among animals shows a decline from 42.7 per cent in 2018 to around six per cent in 2025, the chain of infection has yet to be fully broken.

“To date, Sarawak has recorded a total of 94 human rabies cases with 87 deaths, including four deaths recorded this year,” he pointed out.

In a related development, he said the Sarawak Government targets the vaccination of 50,000 dogs this year to achieve the recommended herd immunity rate of 70 per cent.

According to him, Mobile Veterinary teams will continue to be deployed, particularly in urban and high-risk areas to expand vaccination access, enhance enforcement on responsible pet ownership and strengthen community engagement. -UKASnews

Prepared By: Gabriel Rommy
Photos By: Ibanez Jeffery
Translator: Ryan Lim