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The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Lack of birth control centres, shortage of vets, leads to spike in dog bites, rabies deaths across south India
Dog bite incidents remain a significant public health issue across southern India, with rabies-related deaths continuing to rise, despite various measures to control the problem. According to the government's response to the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2025, over 37 lakh dog bite cases and 54 suspected rabies deaths were recorded in 2024. The National Centre for Disease Control confirmed 37 lakh dog bite cases and 54 suspected human rabies deaths that year. The government has placed the responsibility for managing the stray dog population on municipalities. In a written reply, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, S.P. Singh Baghel stated that the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Programme is being implemented across the country to regulate stray dog numbers. However, despite ongoing sterilisation drives and vaccination campaigns, data from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, and Kerala indicate that the problem is far from resolved. The stray dog population continues to grow, and civic responses have been limited. The toll on human health In Tamil Nadu, for instance, the Directorate of Public Health reported a startling 1.24 lakh dog bite cases and four rabies deaths in just the first three months of 2025. The fatalities from rabies went up from 18 deaths in 2023 to 43 in 2024. By mid-2025, 18 rabies deaths had already been recorded, suggesting another year of high mortality. Despite these grim statistics, the State's sterilisation efforts are struggling to keep pace with the growing population of stray dogs. An official survey in Chennai estimated 1.8 lakh stray dogs in the city in 2024, though the actual number could be much higher. Experts recommend sterilising at least 90% of the dogs in a short period to break the reproductive cycle, but data from the Greater Chennai Corporation shows the number of sterilisations in 2023 was 14,885 and a marginal reduction in 2024, at 14,678. Meanwhile, in Karnataka, 2024 saw 3.6 lakh dog bite cases and 42 rabies deaths. This situation has persisted into 2025, with Bangalore Urban reporting 8,878 dog bites between January and June. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) region, which includes the city's core, recorded 13,831 cases in just six months. Although no rabies deaths were reported in these areas during this period, Bangalore Urban was responsible for 9 of the 19 Statewide rabies fatalities. The situation in the city, particularly in poorer areas, reflects the ongoing challenges in controlling the stray dog population, despite efforts in more affluent neighbourhoods where government agencies are active. In Telangana, Hyderabad has also seen a dramatic increase in dog bite cases, which more than doubled from 10,078 incidents in 2022 to 21,131 in 2024. The situation is dire, with Greater Hyderabad now reporting over 100 dog bites every day. Between 2021 and 2024, the State recorded over 3.3 lakh dog bite cases, with Hyderabad contributing significantly to this total. Local residents have expressed fear about letting their children play outside due to aggressive stray dogs. 'Only because I live in a society that has banned stray dogs can my child play safely within the complex,' said N. Sravani, mother of a five-year-old. In Kerala, the situation is similarly concerning. Dog bite cases have surged from 1.19 lakh in 2014 to around 3.16 lakh in 2024, more than doubling over the past decade. The increase in rabies-related deaths has been just as worrying: 25 deaths in 2023, 26 in 2024, and already 16 deaths in the first five months of 2025. Significantly, some of those who died had received rabies vaccinations, suggesting that in some cases, the virus reached the nervous system too quickly, rendering the vaccine ineffective. In response, the Kerala government has plans to deploy mobile ABC units across all 152 block panchayats, aiming to better control the stray dog population. For many, the fear of stray dogs is a daily reality, which makes even simple activities like taking children for walks or playing outside a daunting task. Challenges in controlling stray dog populations The ability to manage and control the stray dog population is hindered by several significant challenges. A crucial issue is the lack of adequate infrastructure, especially in terms of animal birth control centres, and the shortage of trained veterinary professionals. Shruti Vinod Raj, honorary member of the Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board, said that Chennai alone needs 17 ABC centres to handle the growing number of stray dogs. At present, the city has only five, with plans for ten more. The existing centres are not enough to meet the demand, and only a fraction of the necessary sterilisation procedures are being carried out. Moreover, there is a significant shortage of qualified veterinarians to perform these essential procedures, says Ms. Raj. The lack of skilled professionals at these centres further exacerbates the problem. In response to this, the Animal Welfare Board and the Animal Husbandry Department are working to provide targeted training for veterinarians specifically to work at these centres, but this initiative is still in its early stages. Another major challenge comes in the form of bureaucratic red tape, which delays the establishment of new ABC centres. An animal welfare organisation in Hyderabad, which works with the local body for ABC, noted that proposals for setting up new centres may take years to be approved, leaving the stray dog population to proliferate unchecked in the meantime. In many cases, by the time a new centre is operational, the population of strays has grown significantly. Local residents, too, are noticing these gaps in the system. K. Guru, a resident of Bangalore, commented that while some affluent areas are seeing a reduction in stray dog numbers due to active government intervention, the situation in other parts of the city remains grim. 'In affluent neighbourhoods, there seems to be some progress in controlling the stray dog population. However, in other parts of the city, the problem is only worsening,' he said. Experts have called for a more coordinated, widespread response, involving better infrastructure, a larger number of trained veterinarians, and faster decision-making to address the issue comprehensively. Until these challenges are addressed, the rise in dog bite cases and rabies deaths is likely to persist.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Over 200 cancer day care centres to be established across India: Government
New Delhi: More than 200 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) have been approved for establishment across the country for the financial year 2025-26, including 14 centres in Andhra Pradesh, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Lok Sabha on Friday. The Union Health Ministry conducted a national gap analysis using Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) cancer registry data and planned for the establishment of Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) in consultation with states, as per announcement in the Union Budget 2025-26 . High-burden districts were prioritised, and proposals were submitted by the states and UTs, and finalised by the National Programme Coordination Committee (NPCC) to optimise resources and avoid duplication, the minister said in a written reply. "For financial Year 2025-26, more than 200 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) have been approved for establishment across the country, which includes 14 such centres in Andhra Pradesh," he said. The DCCCs will be established in district hospitals as per the availability of space and logistics. However, based on the feasibility and as per state proposals, DCCCs can also be established in other government health facilities. Unit cost for establishment of DCCCs may be up to Rs 1.49 crores as per the requirement and gaps at that facility. Fund requirement would be fulfilled by the State Resource Envelope (RE) of National Health Mission (NHM), and the proportion of states and UTs will be as per norms of NHM, the minister said. As per the announcement of the Union Budget 2025-26, the government plans to set up Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) in district hospitals in the next three years, out of which 200 centres are proposed to be set up in the financial year 2025-26.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
ICMR study found Covid vaccination didn't raise risk of unexplained sudden deaths among young adults: J P Nadda
New Delhi: An ICMR study has found that Covid vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden deaths among young adults in India, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told Lok Sabha on Friday. Past Covid hospitalization, family history of sudden death and certain lifestyle behaviours increased the likelihood of unexplained sudden deaths. Responding to a question, Nadda said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has informed that it and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) explored two approaches to investigate the causes of sudden death. The first approach was a retrospective case-control study to determine the risk factors associated with sudden death and the second approach of the study was to prospectively investigate sudden deaths in young adults using a virtual autopsy approach. The ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) conducted a study titled "Factors associated with unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18-45 years in India - A multicentric matched case-control study" at 47 tertiary care hospitals located across 19 states and Union territories during May-August 2023. Cases were apparently healthy individuals without any known co-morbidity, who suddenly (less than 24 hours of hospitalization or seen apparently healthy 24 hours before death) died of unexplained causes during October 1, 2021-March 31, 2023, Nadda stated. Four controls were included per case matched for age, gender and neighbourhood. Information was collected regarding data on COVID-19 vaccination/infection, post-Covid conditions, family history of sudden death, smoking, recreational drug use, alcohol frequency, binge drinking and vigorous-intensity physical activity two days before death among the cases or interviewed controls, he said. A total of 729 sudden death cases and 2916 controls were included in the analysis. It was observed that receiving two doses of Covid vaccine significantly reduced the odds of unexplained sudden death, Nadda stated. Past COVID-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death, binge drinking 48 hours before death/interview, use of recreational drug/substance and performing vigorous-intensity physical activity 48 hours before death/interview increased the odds of sudden death. "Hence, the study observed that COVID-19 vaccination did not increase the risk of unexplained sudden death among young adults in India. Past COVID-19 hospitalization, family history of sudden death and certain lifestyle behaviours increased the likelihood of unexplained sudden death," he said. The second study, titled "Establishing the cause in sudden unexplained deaths in young" conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi with funding and in collaboration with ICMR, is a prospective work aimed at determining the common causes of sudden deaths in young adults. Early analysis of data from the study indicates that heart attacks, or myocardial infarction (MI), continue to be the leading cause of sudden death in this age group. Importantly, no major changes in the pattern of causes have been observed when compared with previous years before the Covid pandemic. Together, these two studies offer a more comprehensive understanding of sudden unexplained deaths in young adults in India, Nadda said. It has also been revealed that Covid vaccination does not appear to increase the risk, whereas, the role of underlying health issues, genetic predisposition and risky lifestyle choices does play a role in unexplained sudden deaths, he said.
