Islamabad: Will rabies remains one of the world’s most deadly but preventable diseases, claiming nearly 59,000 lives each year, mainly in Asia and Africa.
In Pakistan alone, despite the availability of life-saving treatment, there are an estimated 1,000 people per year, mostly children, with rabies every year.
World Rabies Day was observed today (September 28), and this year’s theme “Action Now: You, Me, Community” highlights the urgent need for awareness and action.
“Rabies don’t have to take life, and if the right steps are taken immediately, it can be 100% prevented,” said Dr. Mohammad Irfan Habib, Medical Director of Parenting Foundation.
“This tragedy is particularly severe in rural and low-income communities in Pakistan, where children are often bitten by stray dogs while playing or walking to school. Delayed or inaccessible post-exposure prevention (PEP) leads to Prechero.
According to a statement, the Parenting Foundation leads the rabies fight through its network of 14 emergency rooms and 300 telemedicine satellite centers, Pakistan’s public-private partnership with the government ensures access to rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins 24/7. In 2025 alone, it treated more than 11,000 children bitten by dogs.
Dr. Habib added: “Every parent and caregiver must know the lifesaving steps: wash dog wounds with soap and water for 15 minutes without delaying emergency care at sea and completing vaccination schedules.”
Globally, countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines have greatly reduced rabies deaths through coordinated community and health care actions. The foundation believes that Pakistan can do the same if families, communities and institutions act together.
It urged the public to support its rabies prevention drivers to keep any child in Pakistan dead from preventable diseases.
Posted in Dawn on September 28, 2025
