The country has recorded no deaths from dog-mediated rabies since June 2023. The achievement follows more than a decade of work combining dog vaccination, population management, disease surveillance and cooperation between health workers, veterinarians and communities.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Heshan Weeramanthri;

Bhutan will continue providing free access to treatment after possible rabies exposure across all 20 districts, alongside mass dog vaccination and population management.

Human and animal health surveillance will also continue, while cooperation with neighbouring Indian states will be strengthened. WHO says eliminating dog-transmitted rabies requires at least two years without human deaths and measures preventing the disease from returning.