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2 clusters · 8 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated
Bhutan rabies elimination validation
Overview
Bhutan has become the first country in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region to have dog-transmitted human rabies validated as eliminated as a public health problem.
The achievement follows a decade-long ‘One Health’ approach that integrated human, animal, and environmental health strategies. Key elements of the successful campaign included mass canine vaccination, population management, robust disease surveillance, and ensuring uninterrupted access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
WHO validation was finalized following a rigorous document review and field mission in August 2026. While the WHO does not declare a country ‘rabies-free’ in an absolute sense, the validation confirms that Bhutan has recorded no human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies since June 2023 and maintains the necessary systems to prevent the disease from re-establishing itself.
Entities
World Health Organization · Bhutan · Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Timeline
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6 days ago
[HEALTH] 2 sourcesBhutan achieves WHO validation for eliminating dog-transmitted rabiesBhutan is the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies as a public health problem through a decade-long vaccination and surveillance campaign.
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8 days ago
[HEALTH] 6 sourcesBhutan achieves elimination of dog-transmitted human rabiesThe WHO has validated Bhutan as the first country in the South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies, following a decade of ‘One Health’ initiatives and mass canine vaccination.
Sources
bbs.bt · english.mathrubhumi.com · gacetamexicana.com · m.businesstoday.in · newspublictrust.com · que.es · timesnownews.com · webwire.com