(TAP) - Fives deaths caused by rabies had been reported in Tunisia since the start of 2021 and till mid-September, against 1 in 2020, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.

Rabies causes the death of 1 person every 9 minutes worldwide, and dozens of thousands of people each year, mainly in Asia and Africa, the ministry added in a document published on the occasion of the World Rabies Day, observed on September 28 each year.

The ministry further indicated that children aged under 15 account for 40% of all those bitten by an animal with a suspected rabies case. The rabies' cost worldwide is estimated at US€8.6 billion each year.

Tunisia, as the whole world, observes this day under the keynote this year: "Rabies: Facts! not Fear."

The ministry called on dog owners to partake in the annual vaccination campaign organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and to vaccinate anyone who has been bitten, scratched or even licked on an open wound by an animal.

Open days to raise awareness among the public about the importance of vaccinating dogs will be held on September 24-25 in Bizerte.

Awareness campaigns will also be organised in schools, in partnership with the Tunisian Scouts, in addition to media awareness campaigns.