Rabies West Timor Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Strategy

Rabies, a preventable viral disease with severe neurological consequences and 100% case fatality rate in humans once clinical symptoms appear, has become a pressing public health concern in East Nusa Tenggara, particularly following an incursion onto the previously rabies-free Timor Island. Data from May 2023 until July 2024 highlight a recent disturbing surge in rabies cases in West Timor, including 34 human deaths, with deaths now confirmed in all six districts of West Timor. Another 27 fatalities have been confirmed in Flores Island and Lembata during the same period. The escalating number of cases indicates an urgent need for a targeted intervention to mitigate the spread of rabies and address the burgeoning public health crisis.