Mumbai: In a major step towards eliminating rabies in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Worldwide Veterinary Services-HOPE/Mission Rabies India (WVS-HOPE/Mission Rabies India) to undertake free anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs across Mumbai.
The agreement, signed at the BMC headquarters, aims to support the civic body's goal of making Mumbai rabies-free by 2030 in line with the Centre's National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE).
Under the MoU, valid from 2026 to 2028, Mission Rabies India will provide free mass anti-rabies vaccination for stray dogs, conduct rabies surveillance, undertake awareness campaigns and educate citizens on rabies prevention. The initiative is expected to strengthen Mumbai's efforts to reduce the risk of dog-mediated rabies through large-scale vaccination and monitoring.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Verma-Lavangare said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry have set a target of eliminating dog-mediated rabies by 2030. She added that the Supreme Court has also directed civic authorities to vaccinate stray dogs in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures prescribed by the Animal Welfare Board of India to safeguard public health.
"Under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, BMC is implementing several measures to make Mumbai rabies-free. This partnership with WVS-HOPE/Mission Rabies India is an important step towards achieving that objective," Verma-Lavangare said.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Deputy Commissioner (Special) Vinayak Vispute, Deonar Abattoir General Manager Dr. Kalimpasha Pathan, and Dr. Balaji Chandrasekhar, Director of Mission Rabies India and Chief Executive Officer of WVS-HOPE.
The civic body expects the collaboration to significantly improve vaccination coverage among stray dogs and strengthen rabies surveillance, helping reduce human exposure to the fatal but preventable disease.
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