A United Front for Rabies Elimination from India  – Advancing One Health Through Collaboration

Shrikrishna Isloor

Shrikrishna Isloor Professor, Laboratory Director, KVAFSU-CVA Rabies diagnostic Laboratory, WOAH (founded as OIE) Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Head, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary College, KVAFSU, Hebbal, Bengaluru, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3264-3874

Abstract

Rabies continues to be a significant public health threat in India, claiming thousands of lives annually—most of them preventable. We now advance into an era of integrated health systems and evidence-based
interventions that, of late, have become a reality with the expanding laboratory infrastructures. It becomes increasingly clear that the path to eliminating rabies lies not in isolated action, not in the functioning of professionals in ‘silos’, but in coordinated, One Health-driven efforts involving human health, animal health, and environmental sectors. The One Health approach emphasises the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and ecosystems. Rabies, a quintessential zoonosis, embodies this linkage. It is imperative that all stakeholders—medical professionals, veterinary experts, animal welfare organisations, civic bodies, forest departments, academia, and the community—come together in a synergistic manner. This collaboration must be rooted
in mutual respect and clarity of mandate—avoiding duplication while complementing each other’s strengths.

How to cite this article:
Isloor S. A United Front for Rabies Elimination from India – Advancing One Health Through Collaboration. APCRI J. 2025; 27(1): 3-4.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0973.5038.202507

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