Tetanus and rabies eradication in Pakistan; a mission not impossible.

Tetanus and rabies are two potentially preventable diseases that have been eradicated from many countries of the world. They still take a heavy toll of human life in the developing world. According to World Health Organization (WHO) reports, rabies causes at least 55,000 annual deaths worldwide, of which 56% occur in Asia and 44% in Africa1; and the estimated worldwide deaths from tetanus were 213,000 in 2002 including 198,000 in children under 5 years of age including neonatal tetanus.2 A total of 610 cases of tetanus were reported from Pakistan in 2006.3 Tetanus and Rabies are both non reportable diseases in Pakistan and incidence is grossly under reported. There is no specific treatment for rabies and once established it remains a universally fatal disease, whereas mortality from tetanus approaches close to fifty percent in developing countries like Pakistan.4