Project area Goa: making strides in rabies control in India

Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease. Globally, it still claims the lives of approximately 59,000 people each year, with India being a hotspot for the disease. We have been at the forefront of rabies control since 2013, starting in India. We launched Mission Rabies in the state of Goa, in collaboration with local government, to implement an effective rabies control strategy and eliminate canine-mediated rabies.

Goa declared a Rabies Controlled Area

Ground-breaking progress has been made in Goa, demonstrating that we can stop people dying from this cruel disease is possible through mass dog vaccination. Goa was declared a ‘Rabies Controlled Area’ in 2021. The government announced that rabies had successfully been eliminated from most parts of the state. This was a landmark achievement setting a precedent for other states to follow.

Our work since 2021

Since 2021 our strategy has focused on maintaining this status through tracking rabies cases and vaccinating primarily across the state borders. Alongside this we have continued our education work to give communities the tools to protect themselves. In 2024 vaccination efforts were intensified along the Northern and Southern borders to preserve Goa’s Rabies Controlled Status. In bordering talukas in both Karnataka and Maharashtra, the teams have been vaccinating door-to-door both owned and free roaming dogs. Positive rabies cases are still being identified and it’s crucial that our teams continue vaccinating at the borders, and in response to outbreaks, to keep people and dogs safe.

Over 61,000 dogs vaccinated by the Mission Rabies Goa team in 2024

The return of volunteers in 2025

In February, we were excited to bring volunteers back to Goa for the first time since 2019 for an intensive one-week vaccination drive. Our incredible volunteers joined our Mission Rabies India team and partner charities to make up vaccination teams that made their way around Bardez taluka in Northern Goa providing dogs with life-saving rabies vaccinations. This project was in collaboration with the Government of Goa and our incredible partners Charlies Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) and Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter (DGAS).

A total of 10,025 dogs were vaccinated during the project, providing crucial protection to local communities against this deadly disease. Each of our vaccination projects aim to vaccinate 70% of a given dog population, the coverage needed to eliminate the disease in dogs and prevent human deaths. Our bespoke ‘Data Collection App’ is used to record vaccination figures and information about each dog, giving us valuable data that feeds into the management of vaccination campaigns in real time.

Get involved

We are currently recruiting passionate and hard working volunteers for our vaccination drives in Tanzania and Cambodia later on this year. This is a unique opportunity see beyond the tourist hotspots and use your skills in the heart of the community to provide life-saving protection to people living in rabies hotspots. Find out more and apply here.