The Sindh government has decided to further strengthen measures to prevent rabies by expanding treatment and control facilities across the province.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah.
The meeting reviewed the Rabies Control Programme Sindh (RCPS) and was attended by divisional commissioners, officials from the health and local government departments, representatives of Indus Hospital, and other stakeholders.
Officials informed the meeting that rabies is a deadly viral disease, mostly spread through bites from infected dogs. Globally, around 59,000 people die from rabies every year, while Pakistan reports between 2,000 and 5,000 deaths annually. Sindh has been declared a high-risk province, making sustained and coordinated action essential.
The meeting was told that 250 rabies prevention and treatment centres are currently operational across Sindh, providing immediate post-exposure prophylaxis and emergency medical care to bite victims. Work is also underway to establish 20 additional centres to improve access to life-saving treatment at district and tehsil levels.
It was decided that these centres will be upgraded in phases to ensure better facilities, standard procedures and improved service delivery.
The meeting was also briefed that under the RCPS, 20 specialised centres are being set up to manage stray dog vaccination, sterilisation, monitoring and population control.
