RABIES remains one of Pakistan’s most deadly, yet neglected public health crises. Across the country, hundreds die agonising deaths each year from a disease that is totally preventable. Sindh has already reported nine rabies cases this year. Victims from rural areas are unable to access life-saving treatment in time due to bureaucratic delays, underfunded hospitals and lack of political will. It is estimated that 2,000 to 5,000 people die from rabies annually in Pakistan, mostly from rural communities where awareness is low and the healthcare infrastructure poor. Victims often face severe shortages of post-exposure prophylaxis, are forced to travel great distances, and resort to questionable remedies before seeking proper care — usually too late. Compounding this is a surging stray dog population, inadequately controlled through humane means. Efforts to produce vaccines locally have also stumbled. Despite manufacturing some 80,000 vials of anti-rabies vaccine, the National Institute of Health has struggled to distribute them due to federal cabinet delays in setting official prices. This bureaucratic hurdle has hindered public hospital supplies, worsening the situation.

Yet, there are examples of effective action. The Indus Hospital’s Rabies Free Karachi initiative has shown that mass dog vaccination and sterilisation can curb rabies. Thousands of dogs have been treated in areas like Ibrahim Hyderi and Korangi, leading to reduced dog-bite cases. To its credit, the Sindh government-led Rabies Control Programme targets the vaccination and sterilisation of 125,000 dogs by mid-2025 and the creation of vaccination centres in 20 districts — but scaling these efforts is critical. The authorities must ensure uninterrupted vaccine supply, invest in mass dog vaccination, and conduct public awareness drives. Rabies deaths are not inevitable — they result from inaction. Without an immediate, coordinated effort, Pakistan risks falling behind the WHO global goal of zero rabies deaths by 2030. The government must act now — or stand complicit in every life lost.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2025