Bhutan and Chile achieve WHO validation for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem

Bhutan and Chile have achieved WHO validation for eliminating human deaths from dog-mediated rabies, demonstrating continued progress towards the global goal of ‘Zero by 30’.

Bhutan is the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to receive this recognition, while Chile is the first in South America. Their achievements reflect sustained national efforts to interrupt rabies transmission in dogs and protect people from this deadly but preventable disease.

Bhutan is the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve this milestone. The achievement follows more than a decade of investment in a One Health approach, bringing together human and animal health authorities, communities and partners to strengthen dog vaccination, dog population management, surveillance and access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Bhutan has maintained zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies since 2023.

Chile is the first country in South America to receive WHO validation. Chile’s last reported human case associated with the canine rabies virus variant occurred in 1972. Decades of sustained vaccination, epidemiological surveillance and rapid response have enabled the country to interrupt dog-mediated transmission and maintain the systems needed to prevent its reintroduction.

What does WHO validation mean?

WHO validation recognises that a country has interrupted rabies transmission in dogs, resulting in the absence of human deaths from dog-mediated rabies for at least two years, while demonstrating the capacity to prevent transmission from re-emerging.

Countries must provide technical evidence demonstrating that this interruption has been sustained. This includes evidence of effective surveillance and laboratory diagnosis, animal vaccination, timely access to PEP, and preparedness to detect and respond rapidly to any potential reintroduction. The evidence is assessed independently against internationally agreed technical criteria.

WHO validation therefore reflects not only the achievement of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies, but also sustained commitment to public health, intersectoral collaboration and the One Health approach.

With Bhutan and Chile, three countries have now achieved WHO validation for eliminating human deaths from dog-mediated rabies. This important milestone demonstrates what can be achieved through sustained national commitment to rabies prevention and control, and brings the global community another step closer to the ‘Zero by 30’ goal of ending human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.