Lok Sabha Question No. 3690 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-11
Subject: Menace of Dog Bites
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Bhola Singh, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sukanta Majumdar, Rajveer (Raju Bhaiya) Singh

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3690 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.08.2023

## MENACE OF DOG BITES

## 3690. SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI BHOLASINGH:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARANAIK:

DR. SUKANTAMAJUMDAR:

SHRI RAJVEER SINGH (RAJU BHAIYA):

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been a significant rise in the cases of dog menace like dog bites related incidents in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise especially in the Group Housing Societies of Delhi and NCR;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to bring stringent guidelines to curb the menace of stray dogs along with a regulation for management of pet dogs in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government is about to achieve the objectives of the ambitious National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination programme in the country by 2030 and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other remedial steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to control the dog menace in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (PROF. SATYA PAL SINGH BAGHEL)

(a) to (e):

As reported by States/UTs under Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme(IDSP), the State/UT-wise number of dog bite cases in India is placed at Annexure.

Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has enacted the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 (amended in 2010) which is to be implemented by the local authority to control the population of stray dogs. The main focus of the rules is on anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs and neutering of stray dogs as means of population stabilization.

In addition, Animal Welfare Board, Department of Animal Husbandry has issued several guidelines/advisories to State Governments for proper implementation of the Animal Birth Control Programme (ABC Programme).

Union Health Ministry has launched National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) from India by 2030 on 28th September 2021 in collaboration with Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and NITI AAYOG with an objective:

- i. To prepare an action plan for elimination of human rabies transmitted by dogs.
- ii. To strengthen the states for implementation of NAPRE.
- iii. To strengthen capacities of the Public Health Services, Veterinary Services and the local governing bodies.
- iv. To identify and support activities that when strategically used would eliminate dog mediated Rabies.
- v. To strengthen the coordination and support mechanism among all stakeholders .
- vi. To ensure, for as long as possible, continuity of prevention of human rabies, effective, quality assured and accessible vaccination for all who need them

A National Level Joint Steering Committee has been constituted and States have been asked to constitute State Level Committee for effective implementation of action plan.

To ensure reporting of rabies cases, Union Health Ministry has asked all States /UTs to make Human Rabies a Notifiable Disease so as to make mandatory for all Government and private health facilities (including medical colleges) to report all suspected, probable and confirmed Human Rabies cases as per the guidelines formalized by National Rabies Control Program.

Government of India also support States/UTs for State and district level activities of National Rabies Control Programme through National Health Mission. Government of India has also approved additional activities under NHM which includes:

- i. Budget Provision for procurement of Anti-Rabies Vaccine/Anti-Rabies Serum for animal bite victims through National Free Drug Initiative
- ii. Capacity building through trainings of Medical Officers and Health Workers under NRCP.
- iii. IEC/BCC under NRCP: Rabies Awareness and Do's and Don'ts in the event of Animal Bites
- iv. Monitoring and Surveillance (review meetings, Travel) and printing of formats for Monitoring and Surveillance

******

## Annexure

| Number of dog bite cases as reported by States/UTs under IDSP   |   Number of dog bite cases as reported by States/UTs under IDSP |   Number of dog bite cases as reported by States/UTs under IDSP |   Number of dog bite cases as reported by States/UTs under IDSP |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| States/UTs                                                      |                                                            2020 |                                                            2021 |                                                            2022 |
| Andman Nicobar                                                  |                                                             354 |                                                             149 |                                                             345 |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                  |                                                          294006 |                                                          169238 |                                                          189225 |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                               |                                                            2919 |                                                            1193 |                                                            2497 |
| Assam                                                           |                                                           33309 |                                                           10041 |                                                           39565 |
| Bihar                                                           |                                                          120993 |                                                           44602 |                                                          141421 |
| Chandigarh                                                      |                                                           13447 |                                                            6306 |                                                            5365 |
| Chhattisgarh                                                    |                                                           45040 |                                                           14835 |                                                           21020 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli &Daman and Diu                           |                                                            3926 |                                                            2341 |                                                            4169 |
| Delhi                                                           |                                                           53093 |                                                           13704 |                                                            6634 |
| Goa                                                             |                                                           14547 |                                                            3208 |                                                            8057 |
| Gujarat                                                         |                                                          431425 |                                                          192364 |                                                          169261 |
| Haryana                                                         |                                                          102528 |                                                           36328 |                                                           35375 |
| Himachal Pradesh                                                |                                                           17292 |                                                            7658 |                                                           15677 |
| Jammu &Kashmir                                                  |                                                           18764 |                                                            4947 |                                                           22108 |
| Jharkhand                                                       |                                                           35988 |                                                           11564 |                                                            9470 |
| Karnataka                                                       |                                                          217645 |                                                           90323 |                                                          163216 |
| Kerala                                                          |                                                           81118 |                                                           51018 |                                                            4000 |
| Ladakh                                                          |                                                            1193 |                                                             613 |                                                            2165 |
| Lakshadweep                                                     |                                                               0 |                                                               0 |                                                               0 |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                  |                                                          176347 |                                                           64827 |                                                           65833 |
| Maharashtra                                                     |                                                          508620 |                                                          210262 |                                                          390878 |
| Manipur                                                         |                                                            3266 |                                                            1072 |                                                            4442 |
| Meghalaya                                                       |                                                            8504 |                                                            2509 |                                                            5302 |
| Mizoram                                                         |                                                            4778 |                                                             660 |                                                             891 |
| Nagaland                                                        |                                                             543 |                                                             212 |                                                             453 |
| Odisha                                                          |                                                          155031 |                                                           59085 |                                                           64642 |
| Puducherry                                                      |                                                           22580 |                                                            7084 |                                                           11937 |
| Punjab                                                          |                                                           33934 |                                                            9245 |                                                           15517 |
| Rajasthan                                                       |                                                          324500 |                                                          113916 |                                                           87401 |
| Sikkim                                                          |                                                            5315 |                                                            2411 |                                                            3845 |
| Tamil Nadu                                                      |                                                          754457 |                                                          228625 |                                                          364210 |
| Telangana                                                       |                                                           66782 |                                                           24124 |                                                           92613 |
| Tripura                                                         |                                                            7665 |                                                            3616 |                                                            3051 |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                   |                                                          628712 |                                                           93033 |                                                          191346 |
| Uttarakhand                                                     |                                                           22959 |                                                           10122 |                                                           15627 |
| West Bengal                                                     |                                                          421913 |                                                          209898 |                                                           22627 |