Sri Lanka, June 11 -- The Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) strongly criticised successive Health Ministries for what it describes as a "veritable beggar's wound" in the guise of a rabies eradication programme, sustained for over 78 years without achieving meaningful results.

In a media communique, AWC Executive Committee Member Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara condemned the handling of both the dog rabies vaccination campaign and the sterilisation programme, stating that they have been poorly managed and weakened over the years. He pointed out that while the annual dog rabies vaccination programme continues in a diminished capacity, the dog sterilisation initiative which has been sporadic and poorly planned since its inception in 2008 has now come...