Denpasar/Vienna, 21 October 2024 – As Bali continues to stand out as a prime destination for travellers worldwide, the Ministry of Health has recently reported the alarming number of 312 positive rabies infections due to dog bites in 2024 so far. In the two-day-event Breaking Rabies Boundaries, global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS together with local partner Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) invited stakeholders, including representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Health and Tourism to a workshop at the Museum Batur Geopark in Kintamani, Bali. The event included discussions around rabies eradication efforts in Bali, free vaccinations, sterilisations and medical treatments for community dogs as well as educational activities on responsible pet ownership with over 100 students from local schools.

Despite the introduction of a national roadmap in 2014, aimed at making Indonesia rabies-free by 2020, Bali’s fight against rabies remains unfinished. A second roadmap wants to see Indonesia rabies-free by 2030, but key obstacles, including a lack of coordinated efforts and up-to-date vaccination data, have hindered the success so far.

“Effective rabies eradication requires adequate vaccination coverage. If we achieve that 70% of Bali’s dog population are vaccinated with standardized vaccines recommended by the World Health Organization, rabies cases will decrease significantly,” says Dr Made Rentin, Acting Regent of Bangli, who officially opened the workshop.

A regional effort to fight rabies in all of Bali

“The national roadmap to eradicate rabies in Bali has failed so far. A stronger collaboration between governmental and non-governmental organisations is needed to jointly tackle the imminent threat of rabies infections and human deaths and to ensure animal health. We need increased vaccination rates, population control measures through the sterilisation of stray dogs as well as a ban on dog meat trade, which still occurs in many parts of Bali. These efforts will foster community engagement and ultimately enhance rabies eradication by 2030,” says Matt Backhouse, FOUR PAWS Head of Stray Animal Care in Southeast Asia.

The Breaking Rabies Boundaries event was co-organized by the Bangli Office of Agriculture, Food Security and Fisheries which has already effectively increased the vaccination coverage in the region with the crucial help of BAWA and FOUR PAWS.

After the workshop, 100 students from five local schools participated in various activities focused on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, including drawing, poster making, and games. Additionally, the health day featured veterinarians and students from Udayana University conducting sterilisations and vaccinations for community dogs, while educational materials were distributed to the public. 

Dr Rentin expressed gratitude to BAWA and FOUR PAWS for their synergistic efforts in the fight against rabies. "I hope this collaboration can continue and encompass more villages in Bangli Regency. This workshop is expected to mark the beginning of a more effective and sustainable rabies eradication strategy," he concluded.

Background

Rabies is a serious health problem in over 150 countries worldwide that causes tens of thousands of deaths per year. Once the virus infects the central nervous system and symptoms appear, which typically can take up to two to three months, rabies is fatal in 100% of the cases. Together with BAWA, FOUR PAWS has safely vaccinated more than 6,900 dogs since 2019. If you want to know more about our Stray Animal Care (SAC) programs in Bali follow this link.