M. Waqar Bhatti:
A senior pediatrician and professor of medicine was seriously injured when he was attacked by a pack of stray dogs early morning in PECHS area of Karachi while walking to a mosque for Fajr prayers a couple of days back. Prof. Dr. Sanowar Ali, in his 60s, tried to flee from the dogs but fell in the process, resulting in multiple fractures to both his wrists and several bite wounds.

According to Dr. Sanowar Ali, he was rushed to a private hospital by his family members where orthopedic surgeons inserted metal implants in both of his wrists to stabilize the fractures.

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“I have been advised to rest for at least six weeks. This is not the first time I have been attacked by stray dogs. Such incidents have become a routine in Karachi where elderly, women and children are daily attacked by stray dogs”, he said while highlighting the growing menace of uncontrolled canine populations in Karachi.

Annually, around 6000 people die from rabies in Pakistan, primarily due to rabid dog bites. Despite rabies being a vaccine-preventable disease, awareness and access to timely post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are limited.

These alarming numbers highlight the critical need for better vaccination programs for both dogs and humans, as well as increased public education regarding rabies prevention and treatment
Data from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, reveals that approximately 8,000 people across Pakistan are bitten by stray dogs every week, though experts believe the actual number is significantly higher due to underreporting from various regions, including Islamabad.

Alarmingly, women and children are particularly vulnerable to such attacks, as they are less likely to outrun the dogs. Children, in particular, suffer the most severe injuries, often to the face and upper body, and many die from rabies infections as a result.

A recent study estimates that over 1.5 million cases of dog bites occur annually in Pakistan, with a substantial proportion of the victims being children. However, despite the growing threat of rabies, public awareness about the disease remains dangerously low.

According to the study, 78% of the Pakistani population is unaware of the fatal nature of rabies or the need for immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) through anti-rabies vaccines. Moreover, around 38.7% of people still rely on ineffective herbal remedies to treat dog bites, further complicating the efforts to combat the disease.

Experts warn that unless immediate measures are taken to control the stray dog population and raise awareness about rabies and PEP, the number of fatalities will continue to rise.

“It is alarming that a large percentage of the population does not understand the dangers of rabies or seek appropriate treatment after a dog bite,” said a senior medical professional. “This ignorance, combined with the unchecked population of stray dogs, poses a serious public health risk.”

In Pakistan, the failure to adequately control the stray dog population has created a public health crisis. The attacks continue despite numerous attempts by city authorities to cull stray dogs, and the availability of anti-rabies vaccines remains limited in many areas, especially in rural regions where dog bite incidents are most frequent.

As urbanization continues to expand, the interaction between humans and stray dogs has increased, leading to more attacks and, consequently, more rabies cases. There is an urgent need for large-scale awareness campaigns and efforts to improve access to PEP, especially in underserved areas.
Until then, the number of dog bite victims in Pakistan will likely continue to rise, creating an ongoing threat to public health, experts believe.