World Rabies Day passed earlier this week, and Sindh’s official figures tell the story of a province being chewed up by a completely preventable disease. At least 35 people have died of rabies in the first nine months of 2026, while dog-bite cases across Sindh have surged past 200,000, including more than 40,000 in Karachi alone. These numbers are objectively terrible and reflect the failure of provincial- and city-level policies to address rabies or stray dog populations.
The government’s response has focused on expanding treatment infrastructure. Authorities point to 278 upgraded anti-rabies units, 138,000 vaccine doses administered, and a 30% increase in treatment capacity compared to last year. To their credit, officials have also gone out of their way to urge people to get treated after even a minor interaction with a stray animal, but that is the problem – these worthwhile efforts are reactive, not preemptive or preventive. The lack of effective prevention has let the problem balloon to its current level. Last year, Sindh recorded over 285,000 dog-bite cases, and 85,891 were documented in the first four months of 2026 alone. With more than 700 attacks occurring daily, hospitals cannot treat their way out of this epidemic.
Despite some efforts, including a drive by Sindh’s Rabies Control Programme to sterilise over 25,500 dogs and vaccinate more than 36,900 across 20 districts, stray dog populations continue to grow. The WHO recommends vaccinating at least 70% of a dog population to break transmission cycles, and at the current pace, Sindh will likely never come close to that number. If the government wants to make prevention efforts more meaningful, it must greatly increase mass dog vaccination and sterilisation efforts, and realign public awareness campaigns to reach the worst-affected communities, including children and daily-wage workers. The government must also be honest with the people, as covering up the extent of the dog-bite epidemic has done more harm than good.
Editorial published in the Express Tribune on Oct 1st, 2026.
