Dog bite cases in Delhi: A significant discrepancy has emerged between government claims and actual figures regarding rabies cases in Delhi. Let us tell you what the data has revealed.
Rabies cases in Delhi
Rabies Deaths in Delhi: A significant discrepancy has emerged between government claims and actual figures regarding rabies cases in Delhi. The central government had stated in Parliament that not a single person died of rabies in the capital between 2022 and 2024, but data obtained under the Right to Information Act (RTI) reveals a completely different picture. According to records from the Maharishi Valmiki Infection Diseases Hospital, under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, 18 people have died from rabies in the past three years. Six deaths were recorded in 2022, two in 2023, and 10 in 2024. These figures directly contradict the report presented in Parliament by Minister of State for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, S.P. Singh Baghel.
What was in the report?
A government report stated that zero human rabies deaths were recorded in Delhi from January 2022 to January 2025. However, the same Lok Sabha reply did mention dog bite cases, stating that 6,691 dog bite cases were reported in Delhi in 2022, 17,874 in 2023, and 25,210 in 2024. These figures show that while human deaths were reported to be zero, dog bite cases have steadily increased each year. This discrepancy raises serious questions about the health system's monitoring system. When the disease is completely preventable, why is there such a discrepancy in reporting deaths? According to experts, this exposes a lack of data coordination and transparency in reporting.
Data uploading is required.
Under the central government's National Rabies Control Program, states are required to compile monthly data on dog bites and rabies deaths and upload it to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program portal. The ministry claims this system improves rabies and animal bite surveillance across the country. However, data obtained through RTI requests shows that data reporting at the ground level is still incomplete and inaccurate, leading to mismatches between central and local data.
The government launched the mission.
Regarding rabies, the government launched the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 in 2021, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry. Under this plan, the National Center for Disease Control monitors human health issues, while the Animal Husbandry Department oversees animal health. The plan aims to ensure the vaccination, sterilization, and consistent availability of anti-rabies vaccines and serums for dogs across the country. These drugs are provided free of charge under the National Health Mission and are included in the states' essential medicines lists.
How to prevent rabies
While the government claims zero deaths, hospital records continue to record deaths, which raises questions about whether there are serious flaws in the health monitoring and reporting system. Rabies is a disease that is 100% preventable, but once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal.
