The proposed Rabies Eradication and Dog Registration Bill could disrupt Sri Lanka’s existing dog vaccination programme and increase the risk of human rabies, the Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors’ Association (SLPHIA) has warned.
In a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the association urged the Government to review the Bill, arguing that several provisions could create practical obstacles to maintaining the country’s community-based rabies control programme.
Dog vaccination is a central component of the Health Ministry’s rabies prevention strategy. Sri Lanka’s National Strategic Plan aims to achieve vaccination coverage exceeding 75% and eliminate dog-mediated human rabies deaths.
The association said Sri Lanka’s dog vaccination programme, introduced in 1953, was currently implemented through the Health Ministry’s Public Health Veterinary Service, District Rabies Control Units and Medical Officer of Health (MOH) offices.
Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) play a key role in bringing vaccination services directly to communities, including by vaccinating domestic and stray dogs and animals found around schools, temples, public places and State and private institutions.
Special vaccination programmes are also conducted in areas where dog bites or suspected rabies cases are reported, based on field-level surveillance.
However, the association warned that Section 4 of the proposed Bill, which requires dog vaccinations to be administered by a veterinarian or under veterinary supervision, could hinder these operations.
It noted that no veterinarians were currently attached to MOH-level health services to conduct the existing vaccination programme, while only a limited number of Sri Lanka’s 341 local authorities employed veterinarians.
Unless an alternative mechanism was introduced, the association warned that existing vaccination activities could be forced to stop once the legislation took effect.
The PHIs said this was particularly concerning because sustained dog vaccination had contributed significantly to the long-term decline in human rabies deaths in Sri Lanka.
Health Ministry data showed that 20 laboratory-confirmed human rabies deaths were reported in 2024, with dogs remaining the primary source of most human infections.
The World Health Organization has identified dog vaccination and post-exposure treatment as key interventions behind the decline in Sri Lanka’s human rabies deaths, from 377 in the mid-1970s to 31 in 2021.
The association also referred to the transfer of responsibility for dog vaccination to veterinarians of the Department of Animal Production and Health in 2018, when the Health Ministry’s District Rabies Control Units were discontinued.
It claimed that only around 6% of dogs were vaccinated under that arrangement that year, prompting the programme to be returned to the Health Ministry in 2019. District Rabies Control Units were subsequently reactivated and vaccination activities resumed.
The association also raised concerns about the Bill’s proposed enforcement mechanism.
While the draft legislation designates Medical Officers of Health and police officers as authorised officers, it does not include PHIs, despite their direct involvement in community health services and their role in responding to complaints involving dog bites, suspected rabies cases and irresponsible dog ownership.
The exclusion of PHIs could impede enforcement at the grassroots level and delay responses to public complaints, the association said.
It also questioned the practicality of requiring Medical Officers of Health to undertake all field-level activities, noting that the powers assigned to them under the proposed legislation could not be delegated to PHIs or other officers.
The Bill seeks to consolidate the existing Rabies Ordinance and Dog Registration Ordinance, make dog vaccination compulsory, strengthen dog population control and clarify the responsibilities of institutions involved in rabies prevention and dog registration.
The Cabinet has approved the publication of the Bill in the Gazette ahead of its presentation to Parliament.
While supporting efforts to eradicate rabies, the association urged the Government to amend the legislation to ensure it was practical at the community level and did not undermine the existing vaccination system. It requested President Dissanayake to initiate the necessary review before the law was implemented.
