Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has held discussions with a visiting British delegation on a more systematic and accelerated national programme to eliminate rabies, improve animal welfare and manage Sri Lanka’s free-roaming dog population.
The meeting, held at the Parliament complex, brought together representatives of the UK-based animal welfare organisation Battersea and the International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM-UK), according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office reported by Ada Derana.
The delegation proposed a “No Dog Left Behind” approach, which aims to vaccinate as many dogs as possible within a short period using a vaccine that offers protection for three years, rather than continuing with the current target of covering 70% of the dog population. Experts said the strategy could sharply reduce the need for costly post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment given to people after a bite.
The talks also addressed the shortage of veterinary personnel. The delegation proposed training and deploying vaccination teams through local government authorities to overcome staffing and administrative bottlenecks, Daily Mirror reported.
Participants further discussed setting up a Presidential Task Force to oversee the programme, beginning in the Western Province before expanding islandwide, and stressed the importance of high-quality vaccines and a reliable cold chain for their storage and distribution.
The initiative builds on Sri Lanka’s stated goal of eliminating rabies by 2030, in line with the global “Zero by 30” target. Twenty people have died of rabies in the country so far this year, and health officials say controlling the disease among dogs is central to ending human deaths.
