A discussion was held on 21 July at the Parliament between Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and a delegation representing Battersea, one of the United Kingdom’s leading animal welfare organizations, together with the International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM–UK), on implementing a more systematic and expedited national programme to eliminate rabies from Sri Lanka, ensure animal welfare, and manage the population of free-roaming animals.
During the discussion, the delegation emphasized the need to introduce the “No Dog Left Behind” approach, which aims to vaccinate the maximum possible number of dogs within a short period using a vaccine that provides protection for three years, instead of the existing target of achieving 70% vaccination coverage. Experts noted that this approach would significantly reduce the substantial expenditure currently incurred on Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for rabies.
Attention was also drawn to addressing the shortage of veterinarians and administrative constraints by training and deploying vaccination teams through local government authorities.
The discussion further focused on initially implementing the programme in the Western Province before expanding it across the country, and on establishing a Presidential Task Force to oversee the initiative as a national priority and ensure its direct and efficient implementation.
Experts also highlighted the importance of using high-quality vaccines to successfully eliminate rabies, maintaining a secure vaccine cold chain, and ensuring effective monitoring by the central government.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that both animal welfare and the elimination of rabies are priorities of the Government. The Prime Minister further noted that the Government is committed to resolving practical challenges and providing the necessary support to advance this national programme through the collective efforts of local government authorities, relevant ministries, and international organizations.
The meeting was attended by Dr. M. Ijas, Chief Veterinary Surgeon of the Colombo Municipal Council; Ms. Roxanne Sahar Nazir of Battersea; and, representing ICAM, Dr. Elaine Francisca Hiby, Dr. Eric Joseph Brum, and Mr. Patrick Gerard.
Prime Minister’s Media Division