Editorial | Nepal’s rabies vaccine crisis puts lives on the line
Summary
Nepal faces a critical shortage of rabies vaccines with state-run health facilities turning away patients, risking preventable deaths amid efforts to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies by 2030.
Key Points
- Nepal is experiencing a severe shortage of rabies vaccines in public health facilities, including the main referral hospital in Kathmandu.
- More than 60,000 people receive anti-rabies jabs annually in government facilities, yet many are being turned away due to stock depletion.
- The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has ceased vaccine procurement, leaving local and provincial bodies responsible amidst ongoing shortages.
- The vaccine crisis jeopardizes Nepal’s goal to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies by 2030 and undermines citizens' constitutional right to health.
- Government delays and procurement failures have contributed to the ongoing shortage despite allocated budgets for vaccine purchases.
