04/09/2026
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ
๐๐ต๐๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ช๐๐ข ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ด-๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ
In an extraordinary milestone for global public health and animal welfare, Bhutan has been formally validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for achieving the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies as a public health problem.
The Royal Government of Bhutan is deeply honored to have received a formal letter dated 1 September 2026 from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, congratulating the nation on this significant achievement. The recognition follows Bhutan's remarkable attainment of zero human deaths from rabies since 2023.
The letter confirms that, based on the rigorous evidence submitted by Bhutan and the recommendation of the External Dossier Review Group convened by the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, Bhutan has officially achieved the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies as a public health problem.
This historic achievement is a testament to the visionary leadership, benevolence, and profound compassion of His Majesty The King, whose unwavering guidance has driven Bhutanโs transformative approach to humane dog population management and rabies control. Following the Royal Command, Bhutan implemented the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme (NADPM & RCP) across all twenty dzongkhags from March 2022 to October 2023. Through this unprecedented national effort, Bhutan achieved 100% sterilisation and vaccinated over 90% of free-roaming dogs against rabies, microchipped and registered 32,544 pet dogs, and initiated the ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐บ๐ช (native dog) breed development and conservation programme.
The achievement is also a testament to Bhutan's strong multisectoral collaboration and the successful implementation of the One Health approach. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in close partnership with De-suung led nationwide interventions on dog population management and rabies control, while the Ministry of Health ensured the availability of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV) and rabies immunoglobulins (RIG) in all health facilities and strengthened surveillance systems to support timely detection and response.
The coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Ministry of Health, De-Suung, local governments, regulatory agencies, health workers, field staff, development partners, communities, and the general public have been instrumental in advancing Bhutan's journey towards rabies elimination.
The Ministry of Health extends deepest appreciation to all individuals and agencies who contributed to this historic national achievement. Their dedication, commitment, and collective action demonstrate the strength of Bhutan's whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach under the leadership of His Majesty The King to addressing complex public health and animal welfare challenges.
Continued surveillance, sustained interventions, responsible dog population management, and strong multisectoral collaboration will remain essential to safeguarding Bhutan's rabies-free status. Inspired by the vision, compassion, and leadership of His Majesty The King, Bhutan renews its collective commitment to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of both people and animals and to building a safer, healthier, and rabies-free nation for generations to come.
Wangchuk
