Recently, a father and his son died in Visakhapatnam after their pet dog bit them. Reports say that they did not take the anti-rabies vaccine soon enough.
Rabies is one of the oldest zoonotic diseases. People are often bitten by street dogs, who are present in great numbers in both cities, and villages of the country. With around 60 million free-ranging dogs, India arguably has the biggest population of street dogs in the world. Most of these dogs aren’t vaccinated against rabies. Most of the rabies cases are dog-mediated.
The WHO says that low awareness of the need to seek healthcare after dog bites claims the lives of 55000 people each year globally, mostly in Asia and Africa. True burden of rabies in India is not fully known, but as per given information, it causes 18000 to 20,000 deaths each year.
This episode was brilliantly reported by Mahima Jain which got a special mention at One World Media's Podcast and Radio Award in 2022. The podcast takes you through the many factors that complicate rabies control and dog welfare in India.
The episode talks about:
The link between street dogs and India’s struggles with rabies elimination.
The kind of treatment that is effective against rabies, and how the Indian healthcare system poses a challenge in providing effective care for those who contract rabies.
How India ended up with an overpopulation of street dogs
Potential barriers in implementing the National Action Plan for Rabies Elimination by 2030
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