Ahead of the World Rabies Day 2025, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has resolved to make the city free of the disease by 2030. The civic body has launched the Mumbai Rabies Elimination Programme (MREP) in this direction in collaboration with Mission Rabies.
Since 2023, more than 1 lakh dogs have been vaccinated as part of the mass anti-rabies vaccination drive, supported by digital tools like GPS (global positioning system) tracking and the WVS (Worldwide Veterinary Service) app. At present, 163 municipal health facilities provide anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) services, of which 70 centres also offer evening sessions. Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli has set up a special ward for rabies patients.
In 2024, the Mumbai civic body recorded around 1 lakh dog-bite cases. However, this figure also includes repeat visits for the same patients as well as cases from outside the city, which are estimated to account for 15–20 per cent of the total incidents.
Preventive and awareness measures
Public awareness campaigns and education sessions have reached over 1 lakh school students and 75,000 community members, highlighting rabies prevention, immediate care after dog bites, and responsible pet ownership.
Stray dog and cat populations are being controlled through sterilisation under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) vaccination is being offered to high-risk groups, including veterinarians, dog catchers, laboratory staff and NGO (non-governmental organisation) workers.
Speaking on the matter, BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani said, “Rabies prevention is not just the responsibility of one institution or group, but of every individual, every stakeholder and the community at large. With collective efforts, human deaths due to rabies can be eliminated by 2030.”
World Rabies Day is observed globally on September 28 every year to raise awareness about the disease. The theme for World Rabies Day 2025 is “Act Now: You, Me, Community”.
