KUCHING: Efforts to curb rabies in Sarawak are set to reach deeper into the state’s interior with a neutering outreach mission to Bario scheduled from March 6 to 8, targeting animal population control at the source to prevent the spread of the disease to urban areas.
The initiative, led by the PM Vet Sarawak Outreach Team, reflects a growing focus on extending veterinary services beyond major towns to border and rural communities, where access to such services remains limited but is critical in breaking the chain of rabies transmission.
According to the organisers, the programme is designed to address rabies prevention through proactive neutering efforts while strengthening public health protection, in line with Sarawak’s commitment to achieve the global target of ending rabies by 2030.
They noted that tackling the issue at its origin particularly in remote settlements is essential to reducing stray animal populations and lowering the risk of outbreaks before they spread to more densely populated areas.
“To help fund the mission, 50 per cent of profits from all vaccines administered at PM Vet between Feb 21 and Feb 28 will be channelled towards the outreach programme.
“The public has been encouraged to vaccinate their pets during this period, with organisers emphasising that each vaccination contributes not only to the protection of individual animals but also to the broader safeguarding of community health,” it said in a post on Facebook.
Describing the Bario mission as “only the beginning”, the organisers said plans are underway to build a sustainable rural outreach framework that will see similar programmes extended to other remote regions, including Lawas, Ba’kelalan and Kapit, in the near future.
“The long-term goal is to establish a structured and continuous initiative rather than a one-off intervention, ensuring rural communities receive ongoing support in rabies prevention, vaccination awareness and responsible animal population management,” it said.
The outreach effort brings together multiple partners, namely the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS), Unit Keselamatan dan Penguatkuasaan Sarawak (UKPS), Miri City Council (MCC), Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Batu Kawa.
Members of the public who wish to support the initiative may contribute directly through donations to JCI Batu Kawa to help sustain outreach activities and expand coverage to more rural communities.
The organisers stressed that collective action, from pet vaccination to community support, remains key to protecting Sarawak and advancing towards a rabies-free future.
