Rabies deaths

The population of stray dogs in Karachi has steadily been increasing for quite a few years, with no humane plan of action in place to control it. Multiple attacks, injuries and deaths are reported every year, yet the government remains clueless in ensuring both prevention and timely treatment. This year, the first case of rabies was reported in an eight-year-old girl who failed to receive timely treatment and later succumbed to the disease, which has a fatality rate of 100% — but only after symptoms appear. The disease is 100% preventable through immediate vaccination.

Last year, Karachi reported nearly 29,000 dog bite cases of which 19 people developed rabies. This year, over 3,438 dog bite cases have been reported in just the first month. Clearly, the problem is not just inefficiency in preventing rabies, but rather the proliferation of stray dogs that causes such cases in the first place. People often report being hounded, chased and attacked by dogs that roam freely on the streets, while authorities fail to take effective action.

Dog culling, which is the selective killing of dogs for population control often by administrating poison, is the most common technique used in the region, but it is a controversial practice termed barbaric by animal rights groups, and understandably so. International animal rights organisations insist that culling is largely ineffective as it acts as a temporary solution, and the remaining dogs soon reproduce and repopulate areas.

Instead, more humane alternatives such as mass vaccination campaigns and sterilisation programmes are recommended to mitigate the risk of rabies and control the ever-rising population of stray dogs. Such campaigns have previously been launched by the Sindh government but have largely remained ineffective due to their limited outreach. It is imperative that the government runs such campaigns consistently - only then can there be a noticeable improvement.