Precaution is better than illness

THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE ON THIS EID

Eid-Ul-Adha is a festival of Muslims that is celebrated all over the world. Eid-Ul-Adha is also known as the festival of sacrifice and sacrifice feast. Eid-ul-adha is celebrated on the tenth day of zul Hajj, the Islamic month according to the lunar Islamic calendar. Eid-Ul-Adha comes approximately after the seventy days of Eid-Ul-Adha.The festival of Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated in the remembrance of Prophet Abraham’s readiness to forfeit Ishmael, his son for god. The story about this festival tells how Abraham was ready to kill his son and remained true to God. The story tells, how Allah told Abraham, to lift up the foundation of Kaaba that was a holy place in Mecca. God also asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, in a dream. Abraham along with his son started moving towards Mina for the sacrifice.

Due to unavailability of free areas or grounds where animals can be kept secured from theft, people are resorted to tying these animals as close as possible. And that means either keeping them in their homes or outside their streets. Due to this, many of us are in contact with farm animals, which is unhealthy and unhygienic.

The widespread Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is also believed to threaten thousands in the country through the consumption of sacrificial animals in the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha.We do not realize that being in close contact with such animals increases our chances of catching the Congo Virus, which is extremely deadly and the death rate for the disease is quite high.

In 2012, the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) disposed of 28000 tones of animal waste at four dumping sites, during the three days of Eid-ul-Adha. Once the animal has been sacrificed, people throw away slaughter waste wherever convenient without even thinking twice.

An expert at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Semi Jamal, said that people usually throw away the offal near their homes without thinking about the associated health risks.

It has also been recommended to establish veterinary posts at various provincial entry points to detect and curb the spread of the disease. Hence, the government should priorities this impending crisis so that so many human and animal lives can be saved from the viral disease that has already ravaged countries in Africa.