A comprehensive external Rabies Control Programme review in Sri Lanka. Report of a WHO mission, 8–15 September 2025

Overview

Sri Lanka is making significant strides towards eliminating rabies, guided by a clear national vision and strong government leadership. The country has set ambitious targets:

• zero human rabies deaths by 2028;
• dog rabies elimination within the next five years; and
• a long-term dog population management (DPM) strategy for sustainable control.

Over the past decade, human rabies deaths have dropped from triple digits to low double digits. Sri Lanka was among the first countries in the Region to adopt WHO-recommended cost effective intradermal human rabies vaccination, improving access to life-saving post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The Ministry of Health and Mass Media (MoH) leads the national rabies control and subsequent elimination programme, coordinating efforts across multiple sectors.

To accelerate progress and address the “last mile” challenges, the Government of Sri Lanka invited national and international experts to conduct an independent assessment of the rabies programme. The expert group included representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), WHO collaborating centres, academia and civil society organizations with expertise in rabies elimination and animal welfare.

The programme review involved multiple consultations with various stakeholders across sectors and at all levels of the country, including relevant units within the MoH, Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Department of Wildlife Conservation under the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, provincial and local governments, academia, private veterinarians and civil society organizations.

The mission aimed to evaluate the current status, identify key challenges and provide strategic recommendations to help Sri Lanka reach its 2028 goal – two years ahead of the global target. Field visits and community-level discussions provided valuable insights into the programme’s strengths and areas for improvement.

The review also aimed to conduct a health economic costing exercise to describe the current financial burden of rabies prevention and control activities in Sri Lanka.