Situation & Solutions
How rabies stands in the world and in Indonesia, its impact, and the four core strategies to control and eliminate it.
Rabies is endemic on nearly every continent except Antarctica. 95% of human cases come from Asia and Africa, and most (80%) occur in rural communities with limited access to healthcare. An estimated 55,000 people die each year — one life every 10 minutes — and more than 95% are infected through dog bites.
Rabies was first reported in Indonesia in 1884. Over the past two decades it has spread to new areas such as Flores (1997), Bali (2008), Nias (2010), and Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara (2019). Today rabies remains a problem in 26 of 34 provinces.
Rabies causes loss of life and economic and social harm. Losses are measured in lost productivity, the cost of treating bites (VAR and SAR), and lost livestock. In Bali, economic losses were estimated at USD 17 million (around IDR 230 billion) over 2008–2011.
Indonesia’s approach combines a zone-based (geographic) approach and a stepwise approach (SARE), guided by the STOPS framework: socio-culture, technical, organization, politics, and resources. The four core strategies below reinforce one another.
Vaccinating at least 70% of the dog population, carried out simultaneously and thoroughly down to the village level, is the most effective way to break transmission.
Treating bite victims quickly and correctly — washing the wound, administering anti-rabies vaccine (VAR), and medical referral — saves lives after exposure.
Raising public awareness, especially among children, about prevention and first aid corrects misinformation and drives the right behavior.
Responsible dog ownership and humane population management keep vaccination coverage high and suppress transmission.
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