Kathmandu, September 25

Rabies kills nearly 25 000 people every year in the South-East Asia region, which accounts for 45 per cent of global deaths caused by the disease. Over 1.5 billion people in the region, which includes 11 countries, including Nepal, are at the risk of rabies infection.

According to the World Health Organisation, every year an estimated four million people take rabies vaccines, mostly after dog bite. About 40 per cent people exposed to dog bites are children in the age group of five to 15 years.

As of today, rabies has no cure. Eliminating rabies is an important public health goal. “National strategies are needed for rabies elimination with the focus on increasing public awareness and making cost effective post-exposure vaccination available to all. Ensuring post-exposure rabies vaccination to all in an equitable manner should be a key element of rabies elimination efforts,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia Region, said in a press statement issued today ahead of the World Rabies Day, which is observed on September 28.

World Rabies Day this year focuses on making the elimination goal, set for 2020 in the South-East Asia region, a reality with the theme ‘Let’s end rabies together’.

“Communities have an important role to play in rabies elimination. Simple but important measures such as vaccinating pet dogs and cats against rabies, thoroughly washing dog bite wounds with soap and water, and taking rabies vaccination when exposed to bite of a rabid or suspected animal, will strengthen rabies elimination efforts,” Dr Khetrapal Singh suggested.

WHO said it is working together with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Organization for Animal Health and animal welfare organisations to implement a comprehensive rabies elimination programme in rabies endemic countries.

Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in warm-blooded animals. The disease is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted from one species to another, such as from dogs to humans, commonly by a bite from an infected animal.

According to a report by the Ministry of Health and Population, more than 100 people die in Nepal every year from rabies and at least 40,000 people take anti-rabies treatment after being bitten by dogs.