Bhutan leads South-East Asia in eliminating rabies as public health problem
WHO validation recognises that a country has eliminated dog-transmitted human rabies, with no human deaths from the disease for at least two years, while demonstrating the capacity to prevent transmission from re-emerging
Bhutan has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first country in the World Health Organization's South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies as a public health issue. The WHO officially recognized Bhutan's accomplishment on Saturday, confirming the country's success after the last rabies death was recorded in June 2023.
Rabies is a highly lethal viral disease, with an estimated 59,000 fatalities annually, primarily affecting India, where local animal control and vaccination efforts often fall short. The disease is endemic in Bhutan, with cases reported throughout the year, except in the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands, where about 96% of mortality and morbidity are associated with dog bites.
The National Rabies Control Programme aims to reduce rabies-related deaths and strive for a zero-death goal by 2030. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Bhutan's progress and highlighted the collaborative efforts of health workers, veterinarians, and communities that made the achievement possible. The success was attributed to the One Health approach, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
Bhutan's commitment to maintaining the systems that support this achievement, including sustained access to post-exposure prophylaxis, mass dog vaccination, dog population management, community engagement, and strengthened surveillance, will ensure continued progress in rabies prevention.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
