Notifiable Disease (Rabies in Delhi)

Notifiable Disease (rabies In Delhi)

January 5, 2026

Kamaraj IAS Academy

Prelims Plus

Context: The Delhi government has declared human rabies a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
What is a Notifiable Disease? It is a disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. This means every private and government hospital, as well as individual practitioners, must report any suspected or confirmed rabies case.
Why Rabies? While rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms appear, it is 100% preventable through timely vaccination. Notification allows for:
Contact Tracing: Identifying the animal and other people who might have been bitten.
Data Accuracy: Better surveillance helps in allocating resources (vaccines and serums) to high-risk districts.
Significance: This is a major step toward the "National Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) by 2030."