• Nearly 3.04 million cases of dog bites were reported during 2023 leading to death of 286 persons, the government informed Parliament.

• The health ministry has been implementing the National Rabies Control Programme since the 12th five-year plan in all states/Union Territories, except for Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, to prevent and control rabies in the country.

• As per the data captured in the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, total 30,43,339 number of dog bite cases reported during 2023. 

• The number of anti-rabies shots for dog bite cases during the year 2023 was 46,54,398 as reported by National Centre for Disease Control.

Stray dog population control and legislation

• Current Dog Population: There are over 10 million pet dogs and about 35 million stray dogs in the country.

• Reproductive Rate: Dogs are highly fertile and reproduce quickly when resources are available.

• Sterilisation Requirement: To achieve a sustained reduction in the stray dog population over 10-15 years, approximately 90 per cent of the stray dog population needs to be sterilized within a short period.

Legislation:

• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960: Requires animal owners to ensure the well-being of their pets and makes it illegal to abandon pets or let them become strays.

• Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2001: Implemented under the PCA Act, these rules aim to control the stray dog population through sterilization and vaccination. They were first notified by the Union Ministry of Culture.

The ABC Rules 2023: 

• Sterilisation and Immunisation: Local Self-Governments (LSGs) are responsible for implementing Animal Birth Control (ABC) programs, focusing on the sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs.

• Euthanasia: Euthanasia is recommended for incurably ill and mortally wounded dogs, as diagnosed by a team appointed by the Local Animal Birth Control Monitoring Committee.

• Feed Spots: Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) are advised to designate feed spots for dogs. These spots should be located away from areas frequented by children, senior citizens, and key building access points.

• Animal Help Centre: Establishment of an Animal Help Centre is suggested for registering complaints related to dog or cat bites.

• Local Authority Responsibility: Local authorities are held accountable for any violations and conflicts between animals and humans.

Implementation:

• The ABC programme is executed by local municipalities and NGOs, with financial assistance from the government.

• Despite the framework, the government has struggled to effectively implement measures for controlling the stray dog population and ensuring their well-being.

Rabies

• Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic viral disease that affects the central nervous system. 

• It is present on all continents except Antarctica, with over 95 per cent of human deaths occurring in Asia and Africa.

Cause:

• Rabies is caused by a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus found in the saliva of infected animals (such as dogs, cats, monkeys, etc.). 

• It is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of an infected animal, which deposits saliva and the virus into the wound.

Transmission:

• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), dogs are the primary source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99 per cent of all rabies transmissions to humans.

National Rabies Control Programme

• The central government has launched the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) for prevention and control of Rabies.

The strategy of National Rabies Control Programme:

• Provision of rabies vaccine & rabies immunoglobulin through national free drug initiatives.

• Training on appropriate animal bite management, prevention and control of rabies, surveillance and intersectoral coordination.

• Strengthening surveillance of animal bites and rabies deaths reporting.

• Creating awareness about rabies prevention.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)