Rabies is a viral disease that’s almost always fatal once symptoms show up. Around 96% of cases and deaths are linked to dog bites.
The good news is that rabies is preventable.
The global approach focuses on two main steps: vaccinating dogs to stop the disease at its source, and using post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after a bite. PEP involves thoroughly washing the bite with soap and water, getting a full course of the rabies vaccine, and when needed, receiving rabies immunoglobulins.
Rabies is estimated to claim around 59,000 lives every year, with about a third of these deaths happening in India, where it continues to be a major issue due to ineffective animal birth control and vaccination programs.
The disease is present across the country year-round, except in the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands, with cases reported from all regions.
The National Rabies Control Programme is working to cut down deaths from rabies in humans, with the goal of bringing the number to zero by 2030.
Bhutan has already wiped out dog-transmitted human rabies, with no reported deaths from the disease in over two years.