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WHO validates Bhutan for eliminating dog-transmitted human rabies

As of September 2026: Oversaw handover of programme responsibility to local governments

Zero people have died from dog-mediated rabies in Bhutan since June 2023. On September 4, 2026, the World Health Organization validated the country's elimination of dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem, the first such validation in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

Updated Sep 8

Notable Quotes

To maintain what we've accomplished, we've handed over responsibility to local governments, who are now tasked with maintaining 100% sterilisation of free-roaming dogs and ensuring at least 70% vaccination coverage against rabies.

from WHO validates Bhutan for eliminating dog-transmitted human rabies · Updated Sep 8

We continue to push for sustained collaboration, but implementation takes time. As a global community, we need to shift our perspective. We can't think solely in terms of national borders; diseases don't.

from WHO validates Bhutan for eliminating dog-transmitted human rabies · Updated Sep 8