Delhi Declares Human Rabies a Notifiable Disease | Quick Digest

Delhi Declares Human Rabies a Notifiable Disease | Quick Digest
The Delhi government has mandated that human rabies be a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, making reporting compulsory for all healthcare facilities. This significant move aims to bolster surveillance, ensure timely treatment, and achieve zero human rabies deaths in the capital.

Delhi government declares human rabies a 'notifiable disease'.

Mandatory reporting for all government and private health institutions.

Aims to strengthen surveillance and ensure timely treatment.

Goal is to achieve zero human deaths from rabies in Delhi.

Decision aligns with National Rabies Elimination Plan by 2030.

Anti-rabies vaccines and serum available at multiple Delhi facilities.

The Delhi government has officially declared human rabies a 'notifiable disease' under the Epidemic Diseases Act, a crucial public health measure aimed at eliminating rabies-related deaths in the national capital. This decision mandates all government and private healthcare institutions, including medical colleges and individual practitioners, to immediately report any suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of human rabies to the relevant health authorities. Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh emphasized that rabies is a preventable disease and no death due to it is acceptable, highlighting the government's commitment to achieving zero human rabies deaths in the capital. The move is designed to strengthen disease surveillance, improve early detection, ensure timely treatment, and enable rapid public health action to prevent the spread of the disease. This initiative also comes in the wake of Supreme Court directions concerning stray dog management and rabies-related fatalities. To support this initiative, the Delhi government is bolstering its existing infrastructure for rabies prevention and treatment. Anti-Rabies Vaccines (ARV) are currently available at 59 health institutions across all 11 districts of Delhi, while Anti-Rabies Serum/Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) is provided at 33 designated health facilities. The government is also in the final stages of drafting the State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (SAPRE) in coordination with local bodies and the Animal Husbandry Department, aligning with the national 'One Health' approach to eradicate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. Declaring rabies a notifiable disease is seen as a pivotal step towards tracking disease trends effectively, improving coordination between human and animal health systems, and implementing targeted preventive measures in high-risk areas.
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