National Action Plan for Eliminating Dog-mediated Rabies from India: The Way Forward

Abstract

Rabies is a zoonotic disease, fatal to humans who are accidental
dead-end hosts. It is caused by the viruses belonging to the genus
Lyssavirus and is transmitted to humans by bites of infected animals.
Rabies is endemic to India and accounts for 36% of the global rabies
mortality. Proper bite wound cleaning and post-exposure prophylaxis
with anti-rabies vaccine are currently the only two effective measures
that can prevent the disease from progressing to encephalitis and an
agonizing death.
India, being a high rabies burden country, has been putting in concerted
efforts to prevent and control human rabies. The National Rabies
Control Program (NRCP) was launched in 2014, and with the global call
for the elimination of dog-mediated rabies by 2030, the “One Health”
approach was adopted and The National Action Plan for Dog-mediated
Rabies Elimination from India by 2030 (NAPRE) was launched in 2021.
This is a joint endeavor by key stakeholders and government agencies.
The NAPRE has five key objectives: 1) To reduce the number of dog bites
by 50% by 2025; 2) To increase the number of dogs vaccinated against
rabies by 75% by 2025; 3) To reduce the number of human deaths
attributed to rabies by 75% by 2030; 4) To strengthen the surveillance
and monitoring system for rabies; and 5) To raise awareness about
rabies prevention and control.
The NAPRE envisages the states to formulate their individual action
plans, known as the State Action Plan for Dog-mediated Rabies
Elimination (SAPRE) based on their specific needs. The initiatives to
be undertaken under the NAPRE are outlined in the human and animal
health components, which are being implemented by stakeholders at all
levels. The National Rabies Control Program (NRCP) has implemented
new initiatives to provide technical support to states to formulate
their individual state action plans, strengthen rabies surveillance,
strengthen rabies diagnostic facilities, promote operational research
on rabies, and strengthen inter-sectoral coordination.

How to cite this article:
Toppo VG, Kishore J. National Action Plan for
Eliminating Dog-mediated Rabies from India:
The Way Forward. APCRI J. 2023; 25(1): 38-42.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0973.5038.202307