The incidence of rabies infections and deaths in Bangladesh can be significantly reduced through greater public awareness, expanded animal vaccination and prompt medical treatment, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku has said.
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion organized by the Department of Livestock Services at the conference room of the Cotton Development Board in Dhaka to mark World Rabies Day 2026 on Monday.
This year's theme was “Stronger Together: Building a Rabies-Free World.”
Tuku said prevention is more important than controlling the disease after it develops. Rabies prevention and control programs should therefore be strengthened in rural areas alongside urban centres, he said, adding that initiatives would be taken to relaunch such activities nationwide.
He said lower awareness about rabies in marginalized communities compared with urban areas contributes to a higher number of deaths in those communities.
To address the issue, public awareness must be increased, vaccination programs expanded, and prompt and effective medical treatment ensured, the state minister said.
Highlighting the link between animal and public health, Tuku said people are becoming increasingly concerned not only about food security but also about whether animals consumed as food are healthy and safe.
Animal disease control and human health protection should therefore be addressed through an integrated “One Health” approach, he said.
The livestock sector plays an important role in the rural economy, Tuku said, adding that greater emphasis should be placed on disease control, animal health and raising awareness among farmers and livestock rearers.
He also called for more seminars, awareness campaigns and field-level monitoring.
Dr Begum Shamsunnahar Ahmed, director (Extension) of the Department of Livestock Services, said individuals, communities, the department and the ministry must work together to prevent rabies.
“There is no alternative to vaccinating animals. If exposed to the risk of rabies, one must get vaccinated—relying on faith healing, blessed water or ointments is not the answer,” she said.
She said stray dogs and cats should be brought under vaccination programs rather than killed, in order to break the virus transmission cycle.
Children should also be taught not to provoke dogs and to inform their families immediately if they are bitten, she added.
Dr Shamsunnahar said free rabies vaccines are available at upazila health complexes. She stressed the need for more awareness campaigns in schools, colleges and religious institutions.
“Although the mortality rate for rabies is 100%, the disease is also 100% preventable. After a dog bite, one should immediately wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical attention rather than resorting to faith healing or superstition,” she said.
In his presidential address, Department of Livestock Services Director General Md Shahzaman Khan said dog vaccination and birth-control programs aimed at preventing rabies should be expanded nationwide instead of being limited to Dhaka.
Md Rezaul Amin, executive director of the Cotton Development Board, was also present at the event.
Dr Md Boyjar Rahman, director (Administration), delivered the welcome address.
Dr Md A Mannan Mia, deputy director of the Department of Livestock Services, and Dr Mehedi Hasan Bhuiyan, project director of an initiative to prevent the spread of rabies through stray dogs, delivered keynote presentations.
Earlier, a rally was held from the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in Dhaka to mark World Rabies Day.
Representatives from the Department of Livestock Services, Directorate General of Health Services, government and private organizations, development partners, veterinarians, students and other stakeholders participated in the rally.
