Sri Lanka spends over Rs. 5 billion annually on rabies control – Health officials

By Mangala Pavithrani

Colombo, June 2 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka spends more than Rs. 5 billion each year on rabies prevention and control, according to the National Rabies Control Campaign.

Director of the programme, Dr. Niroshan Gamage, said special interventions are already underway with the aim of eliminating rabies deaths in the country by 2030.

Speaking at a media briefing in Ratnapura, Dr. Gamage noted that Sri Lanka has made significant progress in reducing rabies-related deaths over the past five decades. He said fatalities declined to 20 in 2024 and further dropped to 14 in 2025, while three deaths were reported during the first quarter of 2026.

“Our goal is to reduce rabies deaths to zero by 2030 and create a country where no one dies from this disease,” he said.

He added that the government spends around Rs. 800 million annually on human rabies prevention and treatment, while a further Rs. 2.5 billion is allocated each year for vaccination of dogs and other animals.

“Overall, the government spends more than Rs. 5 billion annually on rabies control,” Dr. Gamage said.

He also highlighted that nearly 99% of rabies deaths in Sri Lanka are caused by dog bites. Current estimates place the country’s dog population at around 2.7 million, with roughly one dog for every eight people, though he noted the ratio varies across regions.