Bhutan Leads South-East Asia in Eliminating Rabies

Bhutan has become the first country in the WHO’s South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies as a public health threat. The WHO officially recognized this achievement on Saturday, with Bhutan’s last recorded rabies death occurring in June 2023.

Rabies is a deadly virus that almost always results in death once symptoms appear. Globally, it kills around 59,000 people each year, with India accounting for one-third of these cases due to poor animal control and vaccination programs.

In Bhutan, rabies remains widespread except in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Nearly all deaths and illnesses are linked to dog bites. The National Rabies Control Programme aims to reduce human deaths from rabies and reach a goal of zero deaths by 2030.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Bhutan’s success, highlighting the importance of collaboration between health workers, veterinarians, and communities. He emphasized that ending rabies requires a holistic approach, as human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected.

To eliminate dog-transmitted rabies, countries must show no human deaths from the disease for at least two years and demonstrate the ability to prevent it from returning. Bhutan achieved this through a One Health strategy, which integrates human, animal, and ecosystem health.

The global strategy to combat rabies includes vaccinating dogs to reduce transmission and providing post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for bite victims. PEP involves washing the wound, receiving a full course of rabies vaccine, and, if necessary, rabies immunoglobulins.

Bhutan’s success was driven by strong collaboration between health and agriculture ministries, local governments, and communities. Key strategies included mass dog vaccination, population management, community education, and improved surveillance.

Bhutan plans to maintain these efforts through its Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme. It will also strengthen cross-border cooperation with neighboring Indian states to ensure continued success in rabies control.