1. National Rabies Control Program (NRCP)

Background

During the 11th Five Year Plan, the National Rabies Control Program (NRCP) was initiated by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in five cities: Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, and Madurai. This project commenced in January 2008 and continued until 2012. Building upon the insights garnered from this pilot phase, the NRCP was expanded nationwide during the 12th Five Year Plan. Additionally, from 2014 to 2017, a small-scale pilot was conducted to evaluate the animal health component strategies in Haryana and Chennai under the auspices of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), facilitated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India. Presently, the NRCP focuses only on the human health component across all States and Union Territories. State-level initiatives are managed through the National Health Mission since the fiscal year 2019-20. Furthermore, the program has received approval under the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) for the fiscal years 2021-2026, under Scheme E of the NCDC’s umbrella program.

Objective of the Programme:

To prevent and control deaths due to Rabies in Humans and progressively achieving the Global target for “Rabies- Zero by 2030”.

Components of the Programme:

• 1. Capacity Building of States and district level manpower for prevention and control of Rabies
• 2. Promote of cost effective Intra-dermal Rabies vaccines for Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis.
• 3. Strengthen Rabies diagnostics
• 4. Strengthening Surveillance of animal bites and Rabies cases
• 5. Information, Education & Communication
• 6. Intersectional coordination
• 7. Operational Research

Deliverables under the programme

• 1. Capacity Building of States and district level manpower for prevention and control of Rabies
• 2. Strengthening Rabies Diagnostic Services
• 3. Strengthening of Infectious Disease hospitals/ Rabies In- patient’s management facilities
• 4. Operationalization of the National Action Plan for dog mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE)
• 5. Advocacy of joint Rabies control activities for Operationalization of SAPRE
• 6. Advocacy for utilization of National Free Drug Initiative under NHM for procurement of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS)
• 7. Improving of awareness regarding Rabies

Major Activities & Achievements

1. Joint Launch

On the occasion of World Rabies Day 28th September 2021, Hon’ble Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya and Hon’ble Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala unveiled the National Action Plan for dog mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE) in the presence of Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Shri Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The Ministers urged all the States and UTs to make Rabies a notifiable Disease. Hon’ble Mansukh Mandaviya and Hon’ble Parshottam Rupala also launched “Joint Inter-Ministerial Declaration Support Statement” for Elimination of Dog mediated Rabies from India by 2030 through One Health Approach

2. Stakeholder engagement for policy

While framing the NAPRE all stakeholders for Rabies control in India i.e., Animal Husbandry dept, Wildlife dept, State and district level health and veterinary departments, representatives of Urban local bodies/Panchayat bodies (rural health bodies) have been sensitized and advocated for the need of strategic action plan for achieving elimination of rabies in India. Good practices adopted by States i.e., Sikkim and Goa were shared with other states.

3. Surveillance

• a). To strengthen Human Rabies Surveillance efforts are ongoing to make Rabies a notifiable disease in Humans. For this, communications have been sent to all the states by the NRCP, MoHFW, GoI to make Human Rabies as a Notifiable Disease under the ‘Clinical Establishment Registration and Regulation Act 2010 or Nursing Home Act or respective State Public health Act’.

4. Laboratory Strengthening

14 Laboratories have been strengthened for diagnosis and management of Rabies.

5. Institutional Mechanism

Under the NRCP, to provide guidance for policy level, a National Technical Advisory Committee on Rabies (N-TAC) has been formed to provide continuous guidance to the program division for implementation.

• a). In addition to these, the NAPRE has recommended constituting of multidisciplinary Joint Steering Committee at the State and district level for monitoring of the State Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination from India.
• b). States have been advised to constitute a State Level Zoonotic Committees consisting of stakeholders from Health, Veterinary, wildlife dept. which will guide the implementation of Rabies control through the “One Health “approach.

7. IEC Activities

• a). Every year, on 28th September, World Rabies Day is being observed throughout the country in collaboration with animal health stakeholders at the National, state, and below levels.
• b). Division had also published and disseminated a booklet on Rabies and a Banner for behavioural change communication campaigns- Information Regarding IEC is available on NCDC website- IEC Material

8. Capacity Building

For training of health care professionals, three National Level trainings have been organized for animal bite management and PEP. Master training has also been organised in all States and UTs. NPMU Participated in trainings conducted on Rabies management at State level.

10. Human Rabies Surveillance

Good practices adopted by States i.e., Sikkim and Goa in terms of dog vaccination were shared with other States. Remove this line from this para

11. Model Anti-Rabies Clinics

Under the program, facilities are being identified for animal bite victims...

12. Rabies Helpline

Pilot implementation of helpline number in 5 states/UTs.

13.Initiatives under NRCP

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) is the nodal agency for implementing the human health component of Rabies and dog bite control. Under the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP), several key initiatives have been undertaken to achieve the goal of dog-mediated rabies elimination by 2030.

• a).Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS)/Immunoglobulin (RIG) are provided free of cost in public health facilities under the National Free Drug Initiative.
• b).To ensure effective governance, National and State Joint Steering Committees and Technical Advisory Committees have been constituted to guide and monitor program implementation.
• c).The Rabies-Free Cities Initiative has been launched in 15 cities across six states, with plans to expand to 114 cities nationwide. Digital tools such as the NRCP website(rabiesfreeindia.mohfw.gov.in)
• d).Enhanced surveillance mechanisms have been established through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) portal for monthly reporting of dog bites and rabies deaths. Together, these coordinated actions under the NRCP reflect India’s commitment to achieving dog-mediated human rabies elimination by 2030through a comprehensive One Health approach.