The Delhi government has formally decided to classify human rabies as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, a move aimed at strengthening surveillance, improving reporting, and ensuring timely medical intervention in suspected and confirmed cases.
Once the notification comes into effect, all health facilities—both public and private—including hospitals, clinics, medical colleges, and individual practitioners will be legally required to report any suspected, probable, or confirmed instances of human rabies to designated health authorities.
This initiative forms part of Delhi’s broader public health strategy to curb rabies-related fatalities, particularly those caused by dog bites. Rabies remains a critical concern in India, which accounts for a significant proportion of global human rabies deaths, and timely reporting is seen as essential for prompt post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and outbreak management.
By making human rabies a notifiable condition, authorities aim to improve data collection, identify hotspots of infection, and ensure coordinated responses across health and municipal systems.
Currently, the Delhi government provides anti-rabies vaccines (ARV) at 59 healthcare facilities spread across the city’s 11 districts, while anti-rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is available at 33 designated hospitals and centres.
Mandatory notification is expected to enhance collaboration between human health services and veterinary authorities, improve awareness campaigns, and facilitate targeted preventive interventions, particularly in areas with high incidence of dog bites.
Public health experts highlighted that these steps are crucial to achieving India’s goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies and reducing preventable deaths across the capital.
