Rabies is a disease that is completely preventable, but millions of people remain at risk.
“We get a lot of calls from people asking what to do if they are scratched by a cat or dog,” says Aarti, a 26-year-old helpline worker who works at a rabies control helpline near the Indian capital, New Delhi. “They should be vaccinated against rabies.”
“We tell them they need to get vaccinated, even if it’s just a scratch. I realized while working here that awareness about rabies is still very limited.”
Of the more than 200 known zoonotic diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans, rabies is considered the deadliest. It is especially common in areas where people often have contact with stray or pet dogs.
In India, rabies remains a crisis due to lack of awareness among people, low vaccination coverage for dogs and limited post-exposure prophylaxis facilities. It was preceded by sporadic local campaigns to eradicate it, which failed to have a long-term effect.
Although initiatives such as animal birth control programs showed promise, they lacked the national unity necessary to achieve significant progress.
New action plan
In 2021, the National Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) was launched in India, aiming to eliminate canine rabies by 2030. In this project, a health approach is adopted, recognizing the interrelationship of human, animal and environmental health.
Under this, the focus is on large-scale dog vaccination, improved access to human rabies prevention, better waste management, dog population control and mass public awareness campaigns.
United Nations Development ProgramUNDP), the Access Delivery Partnership (ADPWith the help of National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), to strengthen rabies control across the country.NCDC) is supported.
Rabies eradication through this collaboration (SAPRE) developed state action plans, which provide strategies to address specific challenges in each state.
To increase access to rabies information and treatment, NCDC has launched a dedicated Rabies Helpline (15400) in collaboration with UNDP India.
This initiative, run by officers like Aarti, acts as a lifeline It provides up-to-date information on rabies prevention, symptoms and vaccine availability.
This helpline is particularly useful in rural and disadvantaged communities, where access to medical advice is often limited.
Supported by the Government of Japan, ADP works to expand equitable access to life-saving health technologies such as medicines, vaccines and diagnostic equipment in low- and middle-income countries by strengthening health systems, policies and capacity.
way forward
Efforts are also being made to prevent and control rabies by digitizing rabies vaccination at the ‘Centre for One Health’ run by NCDC in collaboration with UNDP.
This digital initiative will include real-time monitoring of rabies vaccine stocks, tracking of beneficiaries and ensuring that all doses of ‘post-exposure prophylaxis’ of rabies are administered on time.
For this, proposed digital platforms are currently being developed, which will centralize information and enhance collaboration between health workers, municipal authorities and veterinary services.
UNDP, in collaboration with the Government of India, has long been engaged in promoting innovative and scalable digital solutions for health.
Through this partnership, the development and expansion of several digital health solutions has been encouraged. Such as the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network and Conquering Covid.
Both these solutions have helped to digitize information related to vaccine stock, registration, vaccination and issuance of digital vaccine certificates etc.
The road to rabies elimination is challenging, but through continued efforts in public education, immunization and digital innovation, India is steadily moving towards its goal.
By adopting a ‘one health’ approach and leveraging partnerships with organizations like UNDP, the country is not only addressing the immediate rabies crisis, but also creating a framework for improving public health.
India, through ongoing collaboration between government agencies, health workers and the public, is poised to set a global example in combating rabies and ensuring a healthy, safe future for all.