Bhutan becomes first South-East Asian country to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies: WHO validates

Bhutan becomes the first country in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies as a public health problem. Discover how mass dog vaccination, sterilisation, surveillance and free post-exposure treatment helped achieve the historic milestone.

New Delhi: Bhutan has become the first country in the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in the global fight against one of the world’s deadliest yet preventable diseases.

The WHO validated Bhutan’s achievement on September 4 after an independent assessment of the country’s surveillance, vaccination, treatment and disease-control systems. Bhutan has recorded zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies since June 2023, meeting the WHO’s requirement of at least two years without human deaths while demonstrating the ability to prevent the disease from returning.

From a serious threat to a regional milestone

Rabies was once a significant public health concern in Bhutan, particularly in southern districts bordering India. The country’s progress is the result of more than a decade of sustained efforts involving human and animal health authorities, local communities and volunteers.

The strategy centred on a “One Health” approach, recognising the close links between human, animal and environmental health. It combined mass dog vaccination,........

© News9Live