One health strategies for rabies outbreak control in Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia: Recommendations for emergency response

Objective: Almost 1,315 cases of rabid animal bites and 9 fatal cases of human rabies were declared in February 2019 due to the outbreak of rabies in Dompu, West Nusa Tenggara (WNT), Indonesia, and this outbreak has affected more than 240,000 people. We report a recommendation for emergency response of one health strategies for rabies outbreak control in Dompu, WNT, Indonesia. Methods: We implemented the OH approach to expedite the management of outbreaks in Dompu. A meeting with the local government of Dompu district (GoD) was held after an outbreak report was released in February 2019. Furthermore, we encouraged the GoD to adopt OH to manage and control the outbreak. Results: In Indonesia, the concept is not clear but gradually developing. The burgeoning issues are tackled by GoD through some initiatives, but implementing OH is itself a challenge. We encourage GoD to focus on these gaps and prioritize the health issues for which the best suitable results can be achieved by OH approach. Conclusion: The OH approach accelerated the prevention of rabies outbreaks in Dompu. To effectively implement the OH approach, it is important to design a legal and institutional framework. In addition, it is essential to raise awareness among policy-makers, including political leadership and enhance the government’s regular budget for the OH approach.