National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination

• Centre on the occasion of World Rabies Day on Tuesday launched a national action plan NAPRE for the elimination of dog mediated rabies by 2030.
• Health Minister urged all the States and UTs to make Rabies a notifiable Disease.
• Health Minister and Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying also launched the Joint Inter-Ministerial Declaration Support Statement for the plan through the One Health Approach.

National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination

• National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has drafted the action plan in consultation with the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• 33 per cent of global rabies deaths are recorded in India.
• Union Health Minister also spoke on the human cost extracted by the disease.

Rabies

• Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease.
• It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal.
• In many other countries dogs still carry rabies, and most rabies deaths in people around the world are caused by dog bites.
• The rabies virus infects the central nervous system.
• If a person does not receive the appropriate medical care after a potential rabies exposure, the virus can cause disease in the brain, ultimately resulting in death.
• Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets, staying away from wildlife, and seeking medical care after potential exposures before symptoms start.