In a significant move to safeguard public health, the Karnataka government rolled out two pivotal action plans on Friday, vowing to eliminate human rabies transmissions from dogs by 2030 and slash deaths from venomous snake bites. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao launched the initiatives in Bengaluru, highlighting a multi-sectoral push to tackle these deadly yet preventable threats.
The State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination aligns with national goals, employing a holistic One Health framework that unites health, animal husbandry, urban planning, and education departments. With rabies proving lethal post-symptom onset, the focus is on robust prevention measures, accessible treatment, vigilant surveillance, and seamless departmental collaboration.
Rao reaffirmed the state’s zero-death target for dog-related rabies by 2030. Essential anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins will be freely supplied across all government health facilities, from primary centers to district hospitals, with mandates for constant stock availability.
Private sector hospitals face directives to stockpile these critical supplies and prioritize patient care over financial barriers. Rabies was made a notifiable disease in late 2022, enabling better tracking and response mechanisms.
Implementation is fortified by state and district-level joint steering committees. The Rabies-Free Cities drive targets 11 urban hubs—Bengaluru, Belagavi, Ballari, Davangere, Hubli-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, and Vijayapura—with intensive interventions.
Veterinary teams will spearhead widespread canine vaccinations and stray population control. Local urban bodies will enforce pet registrations, monitor vaccinations, and manage waste to prevent stray dog gatherings.
Healthcare training programs in medical colleges are enhancing anti-rabies services, refining protocols, and streamlining data reporting. Complementing this, the Snakebite Prevention and Control Plan, crafted per national guidelines, prioritizes awareness, prompt medical intervention, staff training, and free treatment access.
Declared notifiable this year, snakebite victims in Karnataka will get gratis care, with private facilities ordered to act swiftly sans advance fees. Both plans stress cross-department synergy, expanded healthcare reach, and public participation.
Karnataka urges all stakeholders—residents, businesses, and NGOs—to join hands in realizing these life-saving goals by the end of the decade, potentially setting a national benchmark for disease elimination.