Healthcare facilities, particularly those situated in remote districts of Sindh, are grappling with severe shortages of the life-saving anti-rabies vaccine. According to a story reported by Daily Dawn on 18 Dec 2023, patients from areas as distant as Sanghar, Tharparkar, and various other districts are compelled to travel to Hyderabad for treatment. The gravity of the situation is evident from the substantial influx of patients – 423 in October and 1,226 in November – seeking treatment at Hyderabad hospitals. Sindh isn’t the sole province facing periodic shortages of the rabies vaccine; similar scarcities have been experienced in various parts of the country. Earlier this year, Peshawar reported acute shortages. Health authorities attribute the vaccine’s unavailability to recurrent import delays, yet inadequate forecasting, erratic hospital demand, and poor coordination also contribute to these shortages.
Rabies remains a significant health challenge in Pakistan, plagued by underreporting, underdiagnosis, and insufficient funding for combating it. The persisting vaccine scarcities exacerbate this issue, placing Pakistan among the top five countries globally grappling with endemic human rabies. Annually, the country witnesses a staggering 2,000 to 5,000 rabies-related deaths. Pakistan, alongside India and Bangladesh, bears the highest regional disease burden. Researchers highlight the lack of comprehensive rabies case data, absence of targeted surveillance systems, and the scarcity of laboratories capable of diagnosing rabies in both animals and humans as significant barriers hindering disease control efforts.