Pakistan to develop Rabies Prevention Framework amid rising cases

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Mustafa Kamal on Monday expressed serious concern over the growing number of rabies cases and dog bite incidents across Pakistan, calling for urgent nationwide measures to control the preventable disease.

The minister made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN), led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, to discuss a comprehensive national strategy for rabies prevention and control.

During the meeting, the delegation briefed the minister on the current rabies situation in Pakistan, highlighting the absence of an effective national rabies surveillance system.

According to available estimates shared during the briefing, around 5,000 people die from rabies every year in Pakistan, while hundreds of thousands of dog bite cases are reported annually. Children, as well as residents of rural and underserved urban communities, are among the most affected.

Expressing deep concern over the increasing burden of rabies, Mustafa Kamal gave in-principle approval for the development of a National Rabies Prevention and Control Framework.

He announced that a National Technical Working Advisory Group would soon be established to lead the preparation of the framework and coordinate nationwide efforts to combat the disease.

The health minister also called for a countrywide public awareness campaign to educate people about rabies prevention, prompt treatment after animal bites, and the importance of vaccination.

During the meeting, Dr Abdul Bari Khan presented the minister with the “Sindh Official Guidelines for Prevention of Human Rabies (2024),” developed with the technical assistance of The Indus Hospital and Health Network.

The meeting comes days after another rabies case was reported in Karachi.

On 10 July, a 28-year-old woman, Malookan Bibi, a resident of Khwaja Ajmer Nagri in North Karachi, was admitted to the emergency department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) after developing symptoms of the fatal viral disease.