Delhi-NCR saw highest rabies deaths in 2022

Karam Prakash

New Delhi, July 27

India’s national capital, New Delhi, reported the highest number of deaths due to rabies last year. Union Health Ministry informed the Lok Sabha this week that Delhi reported 48 deaths due to rabies in 2022. Delhi was followed by West Bengal where 38 deaths were reported. Overall, the country reported above 300 deaths due to rabies last year.

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal. In up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for rabies virus transmission to humans. Vaccinating dogs, including puppies, is the most cost-effective strategy for preventing rabies in people because it stops the transmission at its source.

The Health Ministry said they had launched the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for the prevention and control of rabies. “To effectively control rabies, ‘National Action Plan For Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) from India by 2030’ has been launched,” said the ministry in the Lok Sabha.