Bhutan’s One Health Strategy Eliminates Dog‑Mediated Human Rabies, First in South‑East Asia

Bhutan’s campaign rested on a coordinated One Health strategy, recognizing the interdependence of people, livestock and ecosystems. For more than ten years, the health ministry worked together with agriculture officials, veterinarians and the De‑suung volunteer corps—called Guardians of Peace—to roll out nationwide dog vaccinations, manage stray populations and conduct joint surveillance. Funding came from the Bhutan Health Trust Fund together with partners such as the Pandemic Fund, while technical support was provided by WHO and the World Organisation for Animal Health. A two‑stage assessment, comprising a desk review and an August 17‑22 2026 field visit, verified that the country has recorded no dog‑related human rabies deaths since June 2023.

The government intends to keep free post‑exposure prophylaxis available in every one of the 20 districts, ensuring prompt wound cleaning, a complete vaccine schedule and, where needed, rabies immunoglobulin. The upcoming stage of the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme will maintain large‑scale dog immunisation, humane control of stray animals and combined human‑animal monitoring coordinated by the Inter‑Ministerial Committee on One Health. Officials also plan to strengthen cross‑border collaboration with neighboring Indian states and to retain the surveillance mechanisms that confirmed the elimination during the WHO assessment. These actions are designed to uphold the absence of human rabies deaths recorded since 2023.

With WHO’s validation, Bhutan becomes the inaugural nation in the South‑East Asia region to achieve elimination of dog‑related human rabies, reinforcing the worldwide Zero‑by‑30 agenda that aims to stop all such deaths by 2030. Rabies counts among 21 neglected tropical diseases that together impact about one billion people, and by September 2026, 65 countries have removed at least one of these diseases. Bhutan’s pathway shows that long‑term funding, active community participation and free access to post‑exposure prophylaxis can interrupt transmission. Bhutan’s One Health approach combines animal vaccination, surveillance, human health services and cooperation across borders. These measures form part of the country’s efforts to sustain the achievement.