Dr. Anil Sharma : From being a Vet in Rural areasof Himachal Pradesh to World Rabies Day Awardee 2024 by Global Alliance for Rabies Control
Rabies is a preventable yet fatal zoonotic disease that remains a threat in many parts of the world. My journey in rabies control began in 2019, inspired by my mentor, Padam Shri Dr. Omesh Bharti. Since then, I have dedicated my efforts to raising awareness, ensuring mass dog vaccination, and advancing diagnostic methods to help curb rabies in India. One of my first initiatives involved a localized project for administering intra-dermal rabies vaccinations to unvaccinated dogs in my area. I then began implementing post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in animals through local wound infiltration of rabies immune globulin (eRIG) and intra-dermal rabies vaccination (IDRV), employing a One Health approach. In Rampur and surrounding areas, my team and I started documenting bite cases, rabies vaccinations, and identifying rabid animals. As our work progressed, we introduced app-based technology for data collection, allowing us to track and improve our practices over time. Our early collaboration w...