IHHN Marks World Rabies Day 2026, Reaffirms Commitment to Rabies-Free Pakistan

KARACHI: The Indus Hospital & Health Network organized two landmark events at its Korangi Campus to mark World Rabies Day 2026 under the global theme “ Stronger Together ” reaffirming its commitment to eliminating rabies across the country through sustained, multi-sectoral collaboration.

The day featured a high-level seminar alongside the closing ceremony of a month-long Rabies Awareness Campaign targeting children, parents, educators and general public in the vulnerable localities. High-ranking government officials, healthcare professionals, public health experts, and community representatives attended the events.

Addressing the seminar as Chief Guest, Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Asif Haider Shah praised IHHN’s efforts in rabies prevention and control and shared a personal account. “My wife was also treated at Indus Hospital where she was provided Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis,” he revealed, emphasizing that timely awareness and prompt medical intervention post-exposure are critical to saving lives.

Commenting on the surge in reported rabies and dog-bite cases across the province, the Chief Secretary noted that increased reporting reflects rising public awareness rather than a mere escalation in incidence. He reiterated the provincial government’s resolve to collaborate with healthcare providers to achieve the global “Zero by 30” target, aiming to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.

Prominent attendees at the seminar included Guest of Honour Tahir Hussain Sangi, Secretary Health Sindh,  Shehzad Roy , celebrated Pakistani social reformer and founder of Zindagi Trust, Dr. Saeed Ahmed Jalbani, Deputy Director General Health, Dr Fouzia Khan, Chief Executive Advisor at School Education & literacy Department, Government of Sindh, Prof. Syed Zafar Zaidi, Dean of Indus University of Health Sciences,  Dr. Shafiq Haider, Chief of Campuses; and Dr. Iftikhar Salahuddin.

President and CEO, IHHN, Dr. Abdul Bari Khan , asserted that every rabies-related death is entirely preventable. He reiterated the network’s resolve to work hand in hand with the Government of Sindh, the World Health Organization (WHO), and international partners to eliminate the disease from Pakistan.

Highlighting institutional progress, Technical Lead for Rabies Prevention, Management & Training Services at IHHN, Muhammad Aftab Gohar, stated that under the SAFE Sindh Program, IHHN serves as the Technical Advisor to the provincial government. Through its cascade extensive hands-on training model, the network has already trained 160 healthcare providers from over 90 Anti-Rabies Referral Centers as Master Trainers, with a target to cover 112 referral units across Sindh. Certificates were awarded to the Top 30 Master Trainers during the seminar, recognizing their role in standardizing Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) care provincewide.

The seminar also paid tribute to the late Professor Naseem Salahuddin for her pioneering efforts in laying the foundation for modern rabies prevention services in Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, IHHN concluded its month-long school and community outreach drive across high-risk areas of Karachi and Badin in collaboration with FPCCI, Alkhair Trust Relief Foundation, The Citizen Foundation, Zindagi Trust Foundation, Sindh Boys Scout (SBSA) and others. The campaign reached nearly 10,000 students, over 300 teachers and over 1000 community influencers and activists with critical education on wound care, animal kindness, dog-bite and prevention. The closing event featured interactive edutainment programs, a puppet show, a quiz competition, and certificate distribution for participating schools.

Pakistan reports an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 rabies deaths annually, with around 96% linked to infected dog bites. Since establishing its specialized Rabies Prevention and Training Centre in 2008, IHHN has managed over 150,000 dog-bite cases, expanded free WHO-standard PEP treatment across its network, and trained more than 700 medical professionals nationwide.