The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), in collaboration with WHO Country Office for Nepal, is intensifying efforts to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies in Nepal by 2030 in line with the global "Zero by 30" target. A series of key initiatives are prioritized as part of a broader collaborative effort involving WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), under the One Health framework.
A key milestone in these efforts was the commemoration of World Rabies Day on 27 September 2024.
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Dignitaries from the Ministry of Health and Population and winners from a quiz contest held during the commemoration of World Rabies Day 2024. Photo credit: WHO Nepal/A.Maharjan
The MoHP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), supported by WHO Country Office for Nepal and FAO, organized the event at the Central Zoo in Bagmati province, Nepal.
The event, held with the theme – “Breaking Rabies Boundaries” – emphasized the critical need for multisectoral collaboration under the One Health approach to eliminate rabies.
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Attendees at the World Rabies Day 2024 commemoration in Nepal. Photo credit: WHO Nepal/A.Maharjan
Over 180 attendees, including government officials, development partners, media representatives and students participated in the event. A special feature was the interactive rabies quiz for over 50 students from Friends of the Zoo – a part of a network under the National Trust for Nature Conservation. These students were recognized for their role as key advocates in spreading rabies awareness within their schools and communities.
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From left (clockwise): Dr Hemant Ojha from the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP); Dr Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development; Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal; and Dr Bikash Devkota, Director General of the Department of Health Services, MoHP providing their remarks at the commemorative event. Photo credit: WHO Nepal/A.Maharjan
At the event, Dr Hemant Ojha from the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), MoHP, highlighted the ongoing public health challenges posed by rabies in Nepal, especially its impact on children.
Dr Rajendra Prasad Mishra, Secretary of MoALD, called for a coordinated, One Health approach, stressing the importance of collaboration across sectors to effectively combat zoonotic diseases like rabies.
Dr Bikash Devkota, Director General of the Department of Health Services, underscored the importance of interministerial cooperation and encouraged the students to become future public health leaders in the fight against rabies.
Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal, reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Nepal’s rabies elimination efforts and emphasized the vital role of the One Health approach in achieving these goals.
The commemorative event also gave momentum to accelerate the finalization of the National Rabies Elimination Strategy 2024-2030.
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Consultative workshop to finalize the National Strategic Plan on rabies elimination held in Bagmati province, Nepal. Photo credit: WHO Nepal/S.G.Amatya
Building on this momentum, WHO also supported the MoHP and MoALD in organizing a one-day consultative workshop on 28 October 2024, bringing together key stakeholders from human, animal and environmental health sectors to finalize the strategy.
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Dr Yadu Chandra Ghimire, Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health and Population (left), and Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal, delivering their remarks during the consultative workshop. Photo credit: WHO Nepal/S.G.Amatya
At the workshop, Dr Yadu Chandra Ghimire, Director of EDCD, noted the development of the comprehensive strategic document is aligned with the Global “Zero by 30” target and Nepal’s One Health Strategy.
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Participants actively engaged in the consultative workshop. Photo credit: WHO Nepal/S.G.Amatya
Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, WHO Representative to Nepal, reiterated WHO's commitment to supporting this strategy, highlighting its role as a blueprint for resource mobilization and guiding interventions for Rabies elimination across all levels of the government.
WHO Nepal will continue to provide critical technical assistance, advocate for multisectoral collaboration and support resource alignment to eliminate dog-mediated rabies as a public health problem in Nepal by 2030.