Rabies Deaths Surge Drastically Over Two Years: Centre

Quick Summary:

• Human rabies deaths in India increased significantly from 22 in 2022 to 180 in 2024, despite a decline in presumptive cases (from 4,885 in 2022 to 1,079 in 2024).
• Tamil Nadu reported the highest rabies deaths (43), followed by karnataka (42) and Andhra Pradesh (39) for the year 2024.
• The Animal Birth control (ABC) program is focused on neutering and anti-rabies vaccinations to manage stray dog populations.
• Financial support includes up to ₹800 per dog and ₹600 per cat for municipalities and SPCAs as per the ABC Rules issued by the Centre.
• A one-time grant of ₹2 crore is allotted for State-run veterinary hospitals to enhance infrastructure like surgical theatres, kennels, and recovery units.
• on July 21, joint advisories were issued by MoHUA, MoPR, and DAHD urging states’ Chief Secretaries for effective implementation.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The alarming rise in human rabies fatalities highlights gaps within India’s public health response towards zoonotic diseases. Though presumptive cases have reduced substantially over recent years-a positive indicator-the tragic spike emphasizes that vaccine coverage or treatment effectiveness post-exposure may not be sufficient.

The government’s emphasis on enacting ABC Rules through infrastructure development grants and advisory measures appears aimed at tackling these issues long-term but must be complemented by better diagnostics and public awareness campaigns.

Equally critical is ensuring robust municipal coordination given their pivotal role under current mandates; discrepancies between efforts appear evident from state-specific case numbers. Complete monitoring mechanisms tied closely with budget utilization might serve as an accelerator here.

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