If Mexico, Thailand and others can eliminate dog-mediated rabies, why can’t India?

On 28th June, state-level Kabaddi player Brajesh Solanki died of rabies. He was bit by a puppy in May last week and ignored the bite as a sratch. He did not recieve post-exposure vaccine and started showing symptoms in the last week of June. On 6th July, a 60-year-old woman was mauled by two rottweilers at around 4:10 AM when she was going to the temple for morning ritual. In January 2025, a five-year-old girl, Samreen Kouser, was killed by a pack of dogs in Jammu and Kashmir. Not only stray dogs, but pet dogs, especially of aggressive breeds, have become a major threat in India. Such tragedies and millions of bite cases have been fuelling public panic.

According to official data, there were over 30 lakh cases of dog bites in 2023, whereas in 2022, 20.1 lakh cases were reported. The number rose again in 2024 with around 37 lakh dog bite cases reported across the country. In January 2025 alone, there were 4.29 lakh cases of dog bites in India. Is almost 40 lakh dog bite cases something to brush off under the rug just because animal lovers want every Indian to “share” resources with dogs?

According to a survey, around 80% of people have either faced or know someone who has faced a dog attack. While the number of rabies deaths reported officially by India every year is in hundreds, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of rabies deaths in India can be estimated between 18,000 and 20,000. WHO says that 36% of the overall deaths caused by rabies across the world happen in India.

The fear and anxiety caused by the increasing number of aggressive stray dogs who move and hunt in packs is growing. Notably, there are nations that have “cracked the code” on canine rabies. Countries like Mexico, Sri Lanka, and others have eliminated dog-mediated rabies. The question is, why has India lagged behind?

In this article, we will focus on eliminating the number of deaths by rabies.

Global Models – Success Stories Abroad

Mexico eliminated dog-mediated rabies in 2005

Mexico is the first country validated by WHO to eliminate human rabies from dogs. According to recent reports, there are around 15–20 million dogs in Mexico against a human population of 130 million. Though it reports around 1,00,000 cases of dog bites every year, the number of deaths by rabies mediated by dogs is virtually zero. Not to forget, there are almost 19 million dogs in Mexico.

Mexico runs a national “One Health” strategy with free mass dog vaccination and compulsory annual boosters since the 1990s. It has achieved 80% coverage in such campaigns. Continuous surveillance and public awareness have complemented the effort. In 1990, there were 60 cases of rabies deaths in Mexico, which has remained zero since 2006. In 2019, Mexico received WHO validation for “eliminating dog-transmitted human rabies” as a public health problem.

However, uncontrolled breeding and rising population of stray dogs due to abandonment is a major issue in Mexico as well. Despite the high number of dogs, death by rabies is negligible.

Massive vaccination programme in Sri Lanka

In the early 2010s, Sri Lanka set an ambitious goal of zero human rabies by 2020. Under a government-led One Health programme, it provides free rabies post-exposure prophylaxis at all government hospitals. Furthermore, the government has enforced strict dog vaccination and neutering rules. In 2015, there were 24 human rabies cases caused by dog bites, which fell to 5 in 2016. Sri Lanka also scaled up dog vaccinations. In 1990, the number of dogs vaccinated was around 4,00,000, which rose to 1.5 million dogs in 2015. Notably, there are around six million dogs in Sri Lanka.

While Sri Lanka reports around 3,00,000 dog bite cases every year, the number of deaths by rabies mediated by dogs is comparatively less. Around 20 people succumbed to death by rabies in 2024, out of which 11 were attributed to dog bites, one to a golden palm civet bite, and 8 cases were non-conclusive about the source.

Notably, there are around six million dogs in Sri Lanka. A large number of them are “semi-owned”, meaning they are community dogs that live in schools, temples, hospital premises, markets, and other public places. The government has made it mandatory that all dogs should get rabies vaccination within 4–6 weeks of birth. Furthermore, an annual booster dose is also mandatory. According to government data, the number of rabies deaths has been between 25–30 every year for the past few years.

Not to forget, Sri Lanka was the first country in South-East Asia to draft a national “Zero Rabies” strategy. WHO says that Sri Lanka is on its path to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2026, much before the global target of 2030.

Thailand leads the way

In 1992, Thailand passed the Rabies Prevention Act which mandates annual vaccination of all dogs. In the 1990s, only 20% of dogs were regularly vaccinated in the country, and the number of deaths by dog-mediated rabies in humans was in hundreds. Continued campaigns and public education, however, changed things drastically, and in 1995, only 74 such deaths were reported. In 2020, only 3 deaths by rabies were reported in Thailand.

There are around 8 to 12 million dogs in Thailand. The country operates regular mass vaccination drives and sterilisation schemes targeting 70% coverage. It also has intradermal PEP training nationwide. While reports suggest there are around 10 rabies deaths every year in Thailand, the numbers are steadily declining through rigorous control measures.

India’s NAPRE Plan

In 2021, India launched the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) program and in 2023, GoI launched National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies. Under NAPRE, which is led by the National Centre for Disease Control under the Ministry of Health and the Department of Animal Husbandry, India adopted a One Health approach, that is, coordinating the animal, human and municipal sectors.

The goal is zero human rabies by 2030, which is the global target set by WHO. The plan sets ambitious targets such as reducing dog bites by 50% by the end of 2025 and achieving 70% vaccination coverage of dogs. The programme emphasises mass dog vaccination, dog birth control through sterilisation, timely human post-exposure vaccination, improved waste management, and public awareness.

NCDC and partners have rolled out supporting systems. Each state now drafts a State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (SAPRE) under NAPRE according to local needs. In March 2023, the Union government notified the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023, which tightened standards for humane capture and sterilisation, vet qualifications, and monitoring of dog clinics.

While the expanded helpline 15400 is live and provides bite victims instant guidance on PEP, the national rabies dashboard which was announced is yet to go live.

According to reports, India has achieved a 75% reduction in rabies deaths in recent years. Millions of dogs are vaccinated every year. However, exact coverage is still improving.

Challenges in India

While the government is making efforts to control the dog population and deaths by rabies, there are well-documented gaps. First of all, there is a huge disparity between the dog population and the sterilisation and vaccination coverage. For example, in Amritsar, there are reportedly 50,000 stray dogs. However, in a five-year period, only 9,250 were sterilised. According to experts, unless 70% of dogs are neutered in an area, the population of stray dogs cannot be curbed in the long run. India is far from achieving the target. Furthermore, many ABC clinics are irregular. Catch-neuter-return drives stall without enough transport and kennels.

Another issue is the lack of manpower and infrastructure deficits. India has too few trained dog-catchers, vets and kennels. For example, in Tiruchirapalli, there are 10,000 stray dogs. Thirteen municipal kennels with a capacity of 150 dogs per month could only sterilise 496 of them in five months. The campaign lapsed when skilled catchers could not be found. Many towns report abandoned sterilisation drives once contracts expire.

Furthermore, there is massive legal pressure. Courts remain divided on solutions. In July 2024, the Supreme Court of India declined to entertain new PILs on stray dogs and directed petitioners to seek relief under the ABC Rules via state High Courts. The apex court reaffirmed that the ABC Rules 2023 now govern stray dog issues. Several state High Courts have ruled against those who want the stray dogs to be removed from their locality. In some cases, RWAs have been penalised on the complaints of animal lovers when they tried to establish feed areas away from parks etc. or tried to get the rabid dogs picked up by the municipal corporation.

There is poor inter-sectoral coordination. To control dog-mediated rabies deaths, there must be smooth coordination between the animal husbandry, public health, urban sanitation and police departments. However, these departments work in silos. Lines of accountability and data-sharing remain unclear.

Stray dogs often enjoy sympathy from dog lovers and animal welfare organisations. Feeding and caring for them have become another massive issue, where dog lovers walk with bags of dog food and give stray dogs food without considering the consequences of their actions in the locality. Dogs form packs and become a life-threatening issue for the locals. Notably, this popular support can stall sterilisation or relocation efforts. These dog feeders often do not care about sterilisation and resist any removal or “culling” of even rabid dogs. Courts have even suggested that people who feed strays be marked and held responsible for vaccinating “their” dogs.

In many cases, it has been seen that the Animal Welfare Board of India and local police threaten local communities if they try to get rid of rabid stray dogs. Many local leaders hesitate to act against notorious dog-feeding groups for fear of upsetting voters.

Currently, there is little enforcement against leaving out food waste or turning a blind eye to unvaccinated packs. Even the Supreme Court only suggested feeders could be held liable for attack victims’ costs. In practice, nobody is fined for sustaining stray colonies, nor for failing to manage garbage that feeds them.

Open garbage and street food waste make India’s cities a buffet for strays. Unless waste management is improved and feeding regulated, neutered dogs will simply be replaced by hungry newcomers, frustrating any control campaign.

India, while equipped with a well-structured plan on paper, still lags far behind these nations in actual implementation. It has the rules, the intent, and the resources, but until coverage, enforcement, public engagement, and surveillance improve to match global standards, the stray dog crisis and rabies threat will persist.

What India must do

India needs to treat rabies as the public health emergency it is. This requires high-level focus on par with other national disease campaigns. There must be fully funded, government-controlled sterilisation and vaccination campaigns. Outsourcing it to NGOs and animal welfare groups is not working.

There has to be enforced accountability and transparency. All sterilisation and vaccination drives must be reported and recorded in real time by the central government. India also needs a transparent dashboard of surgeries done and vaccines used. All reports must be made public in real time, and proper audits must happen to prevent “paper clinics” and inflated numbers.

Anyone and everyone who feeds stray dogs must be held responsible if any incident happens. They must face penalties or jail time if they fail to sterilise the dogs they feed and report rabid dogs for removal. Anyone coming in the way of the removal of rabid stray dogs, especially those that walk and hunt in packs, must be dealt with strictly, with fines and jail time. Furthermore, abandoning a dog or wilfully dumping garbage should be punishable.

Conclusion

India has enough financial resources. What lacks is veterinary expertise, institutional framework and the willingness to work to eliminate dog-mediated rabies. India has done it for polio, smallpox and other diseases, and it can do it for rabies as well. Sustainable political, bureaucratic, judicial and administrative will is what India needs to eliminate rabies. India needed decisive action yesterday, not tomorrow. It is time to act and not think about vote banks. The lives of thousands of citizens are on the line, and the government must act, fast.

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