Pakistan: Surge in rabies cases highlights government inaction on vaccine shortage

Sindh [Pakistan], April 24 (ANI): The number of rabies cases in Sindh rose to nine this year, with the latest case reported at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Wednesday, as reported by the Dawn.
The Dawn cited that a man suffering from hydrophobia--a key symptom of rabies--was brought to the hospital's emergency ward after being bitten by a dog over a month ago in Qambar. His family said he was unable to receive a timely vaccination in his hometown. Despite being placed in isolation, the patient was taken away by relatives against medical advice, according to a doctor at JPMC.
On the same day, another dog-bite victim was brought to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Authorities could not confirm whether rabies was the cause of death.
Out of the nine confirmed cases, six patients came from rural areas of Sindh, including Badin, Sukkur, Ghotki, Qambar, Mowach Goth in Karachi, and Hub Chowki. Sources revealed that the JPMC alone has dealt with six rabies cases this year, while it and Indus Hospital have collectively treated more than 5,400 dog-bite victims, the Dawn reported.
Indus Hospital recorded three rabies cases so far in 2025, two of which were from rural Sindh. In 2024, the hospital handled over 15,000 dog-bite cases and reported eight rabies-related deaths. Civil Hospital Karachi, by contrast, treated over 16,000 cases last year without any fatalities, due to better availability of critical medications.
Despite a high number of daily cases reported at tertiary hospitals across Karachi, many patients struggle to access essential treatments. Only a few hospitals in the province stock life-saving rabies vaccines and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), often leading to preventable deaths, the Dawn reported.
Health experts continue to stress the importance of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can prevent the onset of rabies if the wound is promptly washed with soap and running water, followed by administration of the anti-rabies vaccine and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG).
The crisis underscores the provincial government's persistent failure to implement an effective and humane dog population management program, such as mass vaccination and sterilisation, despite the rising toll of rabies-related deaths. (ANI)