For saving public health from rabies

A state’s primary responsibility in preserving life is to ensure the fundamental security of its citizens – an environment where a child or an ordinary person can live without fear. However, amidst the lurking threats present both at home and outside, a 100% preventable disease like rabies is placing our public health in grave danger. According to media reports which quote the government's statistics, the number of patients rushing to hospitals following animal bites exceeds a thousand daily, with a significant portion falling victim to attacks by cats and dogs. Statistics also indicate that patient numbers have increased between 2023 and 2025, with no significant improvement in the situation this year.
According to the World Health Organisation, rabies is invariably fatal, but at the same time it is entirely preventable through timely vaccination and treatment. Sadly, however, dog vaccination and birth control programmes have effectively stalled over the past few years due to administrative changes and financial constraints, resulting in a critical gap in breaking the disease’s transmission cycle. Furthermore, the practice of procuring medicines without tenders during emergencies, coupled with the monopolistic dominance of certain entities, has raised serious questions regarding transparency and good governance in the health sector. However, merely ensuring vaccine supplies for humans will not provide a permanent solution to this crisis.
The key to eradicating rabies lies at the source: effective animal management. To permanently overcome this situation, the government must immediately accelerate rabies vaccination programmes. Besides, vaccination and birth control programmes for dogs and cats must be reactivated in high-risk areas. Simultaneously, transparency and competitive tendering processes must be ensured in vaccine procurement to avoid monopolistic reliance on any single entity.
Alongside, widespread and effective public awareness campaigns across the country are essential. A culture must be fostered among the general public to immediately clean the wound with soap and plenty of water, without the slightest negligence, and to seek timely medical attention following an animal bite or scratch. A moment's delay can prove fatal, particularly in cases of deep wounds near the head, face or neck. We must rid our society of rabies forever by forging a synergy of joint efforts between the health and livestock sectors, transparent management and public awareness.