Bhutan has been recognised by the World Health Organization for eliminating dog-mediated human rabies as a public health problem. In a feature published on 16 September, WHO said the country had recorded no human deaths from this form of rabies since June 2023.

The agency attributes the achievement to coordinated work by veterinary teams, health workers, volunteers and communities. Measures included dog vaccination, population management and free access to treatment after exposure across all 20 districts.

WHO says vaccination and surveillance will continue, including cooperation with neighbouring countries. The recognition concerns a public-health milestone; it does not mean prevention work has ended.

Source: WHO · Source date: 2026-09-16.

News brief compiled from the linked source.

File photo: Landscape of Bhutan 01.jpg — Bernard Gagnon. Wikimedia Commons original · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized; cropped in cards. Representative image, not a photograph of the reported event.