Rabies is a neglected tropical, fatal, yet vaccine-preventable disease that accounts for over 60,000 deaths globally. In India, the annual incidence of animal bites is 1.7 million, and per year nearly 20,000 deaths are reported due to rabies. This amounts to one-third of the total global rabies fatalities.2 Since the 12th five-year plan, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has implemented the National Rabies Control Program (NRCP) to address the growing problem.
According to the WHO, an effective rabies control program is an integration of prophylactic policies based on thoughtful strategies followed by activities undertaken cohesively to control the animal-human rabies interface. The NRCP action plan includes a human and an animal component based on the principles laid down by the WHO. The human component is widely implemented across the country and has a strong focus on…
