Prevention and Control of Rabies in SAARC Countries: Report of the workshop Colombo, Sri Lanka, 11-13 August 2015

Abstract

More than 1.5 billion people are at risk of rabies, a disease of public health importance in the SAARC Region. SAARC member countries bear 45% of the global burden of human rabies. More than 95% of human rabies in the region is attributed to dog bites. In this backdrop, a workshop on prevention and control of rabies in SAARC Region was organized in Colombo in August 2015. It was attended by representatives from seven SAARC countries, the SAARC Secretariat, World Health Organization, OIE, FAO, Global Alliance for Rabies Control, and World Animal Protection. The workshop aimed to review the rabies situation, discuss control activities, identify gaps for rabies elimination, and share best practices and lessons learnt among the Member countries. The need for strengthening rabies surveillance, laboratory networks and animal health services was emphasized at the workshop. It also called for new innovative tools and techniques that are both humane and socially acceptable to improve dog vaccination coverage and dog population management.