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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Focus on rabies control, not stray dog population
The current debate about whether stray dogs in Delhi should have a home on the street or be rounded up into pounds has generated strong feelings on all sides. Regardless of which way a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court rules, the fundamental challenge remains curbing of rabies, the disease reported to be responsible for the death of the six-year-old which sparked this debate. Removing the roughly million stray dogs from Delhi's streets will only reduce rabies cases and deaths by less than 2% nationwide. A more productive public health approach would be to focus on rabies rather than stray dogs. India has had enormous success in infectious disease control through vaccinations, examples being smallpox, polio, maternal tetanus and most recently, Covid-19. The country can then surely make significant progress towards the World Health Organization (WHO)'s goal of zero rabies deaths by 2030 without eliminating the 60 million stray dogs in India. But we are far from that goal. India accounts for one in three rabies deaths globally and over two-thirds in Asia. According to WHO data, there are an estimated 18,000-20,000 deaths from rabies each year in India. In comparison, China, which has 40 million stray dogs, reported an average of only 433 rabies cases per year between 2015 and 2021. The number of rabies deaths has declined from 3,300 in 2007 to fewer than 300 deaths in 2020. How did China manage to control rabies without killing its stray dogs? It adopted a one-health approach to rabies control, ensuring close coordination between the human and animal health departments, widening access to post-exposure vaccines (rabies is the only infectious disease that can be addressed using a vaccine post-exposure to the virus), expanding vaccination of all stray dogs and improving surveillance of all dog bites and rabies. China administers approximately 12-15 million rabies vaccine doses every year, at a cost of about $1 billion. India's rabies control programme is poorly funded and, unlike other disease control programmes, straddles two ministries — health and animal husbandry. With poor coordination, the programme has been a failure as evidenced by the rising numbers of rabies cases. A few municipalities like Mumbai and Goa have successfully reduced rabies cases and deaths, but nationally, rabies control has been a failure. The issue pits the right of humans to live safely without getting bitten or attacked against that of most dogs who do not bite anyone. The deaths of children and the elderly due to dog attacks is painful and unacceptable. It is also unacceptable that we consign millions of dogs to a painful death in dog pounds and shelters. For many human communities, strays are part of the community without a designated pet owner. They provide security against outsiders, protection from wild animals, and are generally fed by multiple households. In many instances, most stray dogs exist because of the support of people across the country, and not just because of a small group of urban, well-heeled animal lovers. It will be impossible to get community participation to control rabies if people view the government's programme as an effort to kill their dogs. Taking this approach in a country with deeply ingrained respect for all life, we may achieve control of neither stray dog population nor of rabies. The seeds of the current situation were sown by the poorly conceived Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2001 (updated in 2023) which prevents rabid dogs from being euthanised. Rabid dogs can only be isolated until they die, often a painful death. Even dogs that bite people can be removed from an area after a lengthy investigation and bureaucratic process, which all but ensures that the dog remains in the area. These laws have likely caused an increase in bites and rabies and have diminished public support for stray dogs. In the name of love for animals, the leadership that pushed through that act without much debate has created an untenable situation that forces us to choose between human and animal life. A public health solution that puts the focus on rabies and dogs that attack humans is far more likely to succeed. In the short term, we must replace the misguided ABC rules with a more common-sense set of guidelines that allow removal of biting and rabid dogs from communities. In the longer term, India should aim to remove all dogs from streets with the aim of eliminating all rabies deaths and ensuring that both humans and dogs are protected. Ramanan Laxminarayan is president of the One Health Trust. The views expressed are personal.
New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Madhira mimicry artist Lanka Kondaiah honoured for blending folk art with public health awareness
KHAMMAM: Celebrating art with a purpose, a veteran mimicry artist from Madhira wins recognition for blending tradition with public health awareness. Lanka Kondaiah, a renowned folk mimicry artist (also known as Madhira Asha Mitra) and social worker, receives a Best Service Appreciation Certificate on Friday from District Collector Anudeep Durishetty, in the presence of Additional Collector Sreeja and Khammam Municipal Commissioner Abhishek Agasya. The event is administered by Dr Banoth Kalavathibhai. The award acknowledges Kondaiah's unique way of engaging with the community — using folk and mythological art forms to raise awareness in rural and urban areas about long-term and debilitating diseases. He educates the public on TB, AIDS, leprosy, polio, COVID-19, dengue, and malaria through his creative style. The honour comes under the 'Best Services' category, highlighting his contribution to central and state health initiatives. Speaking at the event, Kondaiah expresses gratitude to the District Medical and Health Department, various programme officers, and the PHC Denukur doctors for recognising his service. He says the award brings congratulations from many quarters: distinguished residents and political leaders of Madhira, members of the Arya Vysya community, farmer groups, employee and teacher unions, media friends, health staff, fellow artists, and well-wishers.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Unwell and unwanted: Growing concern over pet dumping in city
1 2 Hyderabad: Pets are generally considered to lead safer and more privileged lives than stray dogs. However, the reality in some parts of the city tells a different story. In several cases, pet dogs are treated as part of the family only as long as they remain healthy, once they fall ill, many are abandoned and left to survive on their own. Animal rights activists and officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) report a rise in the number of pet owners abandoning their animals once they fall ill, leaving their futures uncertain. "It all began during the Covid pandemic, when pet owners, fearing transmission of the virus from animals, started leaving their pets on the streets. While we assumed such cases would decline once the pandemic ended, the numbers have only increased since. Now, owners abandon their pets even when they contract common illnesses," said a GHMC veterinary officer, citing anonymity. "There are 20–30 animal healthcare hospitals run by the animal husbandry department in the city, all equipped to house and treat these animals. If owners are unwilling to care for their pets when they fall ill, what is the difficulty in taking them to these hospitals instead of abandoning them?" he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo According to city officials and veterinary doctors, while there were barely one or two such cases each year before the pandemic, that number has now risen to over 20 annually. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Gold Rates Today in Hyderabad | Silver Rates Today in Hyderabad Commonly abandoned breeds include Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Shih Tzus . The most prevalent illnesses are parvovirus, canine distemper, leptospirosis, and skin infections, all of which are contagious. Ajay Kumar, a veterinary doctor who runs the Happy Pet Clinic in Madhapur, said: "The biggest concern with abandoning these dogs is that many of them carry contagious diseases which can spread to stray dogs as well. Furthermore, the real number could be significantly higher, as many abandoned dogs are never rescued or treated." "There are also cases where owners give up their pets due to financial constraints," he added. "Many of these pets are so attached to their families that they take longer to recover from illness. Typically, recovery takes one to two weeks, but in the case of abandoned animals, it can take one to two months. Additionally, prospective adopters often avoid these dogs, citing their previous illnesses, and instead opt for puppies just a few months old," said Md Javeed, an animal rights activist from the NGO People for Animals. Animal rights activists allege that these abandoned pets often take longer time to respond to treatment and also take longer to be adopted by families Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
