Progress Made, But Not Enough
Every World Rabies Day is a reminder of how far India has come — and how much further we must go. Over the past decade, rabies deaths have fallen by nearly 75%, proof that coordinated vaccination drives, awareness campaigns, and community engagement are making a difference. Yet, with close to 5,700 deaths and over nine million animal bite cases every year, complacency is not an option.
The government’s pledge to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2030 is more than a slogan — it is achievable if we scale existing successes. Goa, which eliminated human rabies through sustained vaccination and education campaigns, has shown us that this disease can indeed be stopped. Sikkim and Tamil Nadu also demonstrate that a One Health approach works in practice.
Tackling the Stray Dog Challenge
India’s vast stray dog population — now estimated at 52 to 62 million — remains the biggest obstacle. Left unchecked, it threatens to undo hard-won progress. Evidence shows that sustained sterilization and annual vaccination coverage of at least 70% can dramatically curb both dog population growth and rabies transmission. The task now is to replicate Goa’s success in Delhi and other urban centers, where bite cases are rising sharply.
Public Awareness and Bite Care
Another barrier is inadequate awareness. Too many bite victims still fail to wash wounds immediately or complete the full post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimen. Ensuring free vaccines at government facilities is vital, but so is education. Nationwide campaigns — especially through schools and frontline health workers — could save thousands of lives simply by changing community practices.
A Balanced Legal Framework
The Supreme Court’s recent interventions have reshaped the debate on stray dog management. While the case began with Delhi-NCR’s alarming surge in dog bite incidents, the Court has since extended its revised directive nationwide. All states and Union Territories are now required to align with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023.
The ruling emphasizes a Capture–Neuter–Vaccinate–Release (CNVR) model: sterilize and vaccinate dogs before releasing them back into their original areas, while ensuring aggressive or rabid animals are kept in shelters. Public feeding has been restricted to designated community zones, and municipal authorities have been tasked with scaling up infrastructure for sterilization, vaccination, and monitoring.
This approach balances public safety with animal welfare. If civic bodies implement it with scientific rigor, transparent reporting, and community participation, India could transform a deeply contentious issue into a public health success story — and stay on course for rabies elimination by 2030.
Vaccines: The Strongest Weapon
Rabies is 100% preventable, and vaccines remain our most powerful tool. India manufactures several WHO-prequalified rabies vaccines for both humans and animals. For people, intradermal vaccination has made PEP more cost-effective, though access gaps persist in rural districts.
The National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) and National Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (NAPRE 2021–2030) mandate free vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) at all government facilities. On the animal side, achieving 70% annual dog vaccination coverage for three consecutive years is the gold standard for breaking transmission. Goa’s success proves this is possible with political will and community participation.
The Road Ahead
The next step is execution at scale. Digital tracking of vaccination, integration of campaigns with school health programs, and strengthening cold-chain support in rural India are all within reach. Sustained dog vaccination, paired with sterilization, must remain a priority nationwide.
India already has the technology, the policies, and the scientific roadmap. If vaccines and awareness become as universal as polio drops once were, rabies elimination by 2030 will no longer be an aspiration — it will be a public health reality.