Rabies / Bhutan Becomes First Country In South Asia To Eliminate Dog-Transmitted Rabies, WHO Validates

Thimphu, Sep 7: In a major global health milestone, Bhutan has been validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating dog-mediated human rabies, becoming the first country in the South Asia Region to achieve the feat.

The WHO validation marks a significant step towards the global goal of ending human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by 2030.

Lauding Bhutan's achievement, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the success demonstrates that human, animal and environmental health are inextricably linked. “By uniting health workers, veterinarians, and communities, Bhutan has shown that the fight against rabies is won not in silos, but through solidarity across all sectors,” he said.

According to WHO, Bhutan's success is the result of more than a decade of sustained investment and political commitment under the 'One Health' approach, which recognises the close interconnection between human, animal and ecosystem health.

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How Bhutan Eradicated Rabies
The Himalayan nation implemented coordinated surveillance, large-scale dog vaccination drives, community awareness programmes and ensured easy access to life-saving PEP across the country.

The WHO noted that Bhutan's model can serve as an example for other countries in the region that continue to battle rabies as a major public health challenge.

What Is Rabies?
It can be mentioned here that Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease that is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear. However, deaths are entirely preventable through effective measures.

According to WHO, mass vaccination of dogs stops transmission at its source, while timely post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in humans after a bite can prevent the virus from reaching the central nervous system. PEP includes immediate and thorough wound washing, a full course of human rabies vaccine and, when indicated, administration of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG).