RABIES is a deadly but preventable zoonotic disease. On Monday, two more victims succumbed to it in Sindh, taking the total number of recorded fatalities in the province to 42 this year. Healthcare experts demand the government devise a mechanism to move stray dogs on the streets to designated shelters. Meanwhile, a study published earlier this year found that with the virus detected in 64pc of dog-bite wounds tested, the burden of infection is considerably high in the canine population. Indeed, no life should be lost to rabies. But relocating dogs is a temporary fix.

Death by rabies points to an administrative failure and a broken health infrastructure. Despite the 2,000 to 5,000 annual deaths from this painful infection nationwide, the Rabies Control Programme Sindh — which aimed to vaccinate and sterilise 125,000 dogs by mid-2025, and to set up vaccination centres in 20 districts — remains stalled by operational problems. This means that the trap-neuter-vaccinate-return programme for street dogs is in limbo. Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre has already logged over 11,000 dog-attack cases this year. It is high time experts and activists built pressure for the honest and targeted use of the funds provided to keep people and dogs safe. Additionally, while nearly 80,000 vials of rabies vaccine were produced this year, bureaucratic loopholes prevented the National Institute of Health from ensuring sufficient supplies for hospitals. Signs of full-blown rabies include hydrophobia, aerophobia, and restlessness; children are often the most affected. The solution is hardly unachievable — inoculating 70pc of feral dogs is all it takes. What we need are urgent, systematic steps to fortify health facilities with trained doctors, nursing staff and emergency supplies, in addition to awareness campaigns that extend to remote areas. Without these, Pakistan cannot meet the WHO goal of eliminating rabies deaths by 2030.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2026