New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) is strengthening surveillance of dog bites in all states, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, in the Parliament on Tuesday.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Jadhav shared steps undertaken to strengthen rabies treatment in the country.

“The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP), is undertaking strengthening of surveillance of all animal bites in all States/UTs. Data on dog and other animal bite cases and related deaths are reported by all States/UTs, through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP),” Jadhav said.

States are provided with a budget for the implementation of the NRCP under the National Health Mission (NHM).

“Funding includes capacity building of healthcare staff, procurement of rabies vaccines, printing of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials on rabies and dog-bite prevention, data entry support, review meetings, monitoring and surveillance, and establishment of Model Anti-Rabies Clinics and wound-washing facilities,” the Minister said.

Further, life-saving drugs such as Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS)/Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) are provided free of cost in the public health facilities under the National Free Drug Initiative of NHM.

“These drugs are also included in both the National and State Essential Drug Lists. Also under the Central Sector component, the National Centre for Disease Control implements rabies control activities through awareness, lab strengthening, guidelines, and training materials, etc,” Jadhav said.

He also informed that the National One Health programme is enhancing rabies diagnosis through vet labs across states.

“To strengthen involvement of the veterinary sector under the “National One Health Programme For Prevention and Control of Zoonosis” committees have been formed in all States and veterinary laboratories to strengthen diagnosis of animal Rabies,” the Minister said.

To create awareness among the public and healthcare professionals, dog bite protocols, IEC materials, and training videos on the management of animal bite/dog bite cases have been created and disseminated across the country, Jadhav stated.

Meanwhile, animal activists nationwide have been protesting against the Supreme Court’s verdict to put all the stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region into shelters.

The apex court had taken suo motu cognisance of the alarming rise in dog-bite incidents, including the recent death of a six-year-old child in Delhi following a stray dog attack. During hearings, the court observed that urgent intervention was required and directed sterilisation along with relocation of the canines to shelters.

However, the demonstrators have been stressing that the solution lies not in confinement but in scientific sterilisation drives, community awareness, and stricter implementation of pet ownership rules.

They argue that mass relocation would only worsen the problem by straining resources and isolating the animals from communities that often care for and feed them.

–IANS

rvt/