PESHAWAR: A sharp and sustained rise in dog bite incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has turned a long-ignored municipal issue into a serious public health challenge.
The official data shows more than 87,000 cases reported in 2025, over 27,000 more than the previous year, raising concerns over unchecked stray dog populations, weak urban management and gaps in disease prevention.
Figures compiled by the KP Health Department show that 87,364 dog bite cases were reported across the province in 2025, compared to 60,223 cases in 2024, reflecting an unprecedented increase within a single year.
Health experts said the scale of the surge points to systemic failures rather than isolated lapses and warrants an urgent, coordinated response. District-wise data reveal that the problem is widespread, cutting across both urban and rural areas.
Mardan recorded the highest number of cases at 13,328, followed by Swat with 7,335 and Lakki Marwat with 7,274 cases.
Lower Dir also reported a substantial caseload of 5,576 incidents during the year.
Peshawar witnessed one of the steepest year-on-year increases. The provincial capital reported only 655 cases in 2024, but the number surged to 4,558 in 2025, an increase of more than 3,900 cases, alarming health officials given the city’s comparatively better access to healthcare facilities.
Thousands of cases were also reported from Buner (3,880), Haripur (3,795), Abbottabad (2,683) and Shangla (2,534), while Charsadda and Nowshera recorded 1,233 and 1,731 cases, respectively.
The officials acknowledged that these figures likely represent only reported cases, with underreporting suspected in remote and underserved areas.
Responding to the growing concern, Health Department spokesperson Noor Khattak said the provincial government had directed all public sector hospitals to ensure uninterrupted availability of anti-rabies vaccines and essential treatment supplies.
He said hospitals had been instructed to remain prepared to manage dog bite cases, while monitoring mechanisms had been strengthened to improve reporting and response.
Medical experts warned that dog bites pose serious risks beyond physical injury, particularly due to the threat of rabies, which is almost invariably fatal if left untreated.
In line with World Health Organization guidelines, they stress that immediate washing of the wound with soap and running water for at least 10 minutes is a critical first step, followed by timely anti-rabies vaccination.
Severe exposure cases require the administration of rabies immunoglobulin around the wound.
Public health specialists attributed the rising numbers to unchecked growth of stray dog populations, poor waste management practices and limited public awareness.
They emphasise that the trend is unlikely to reverse without mass dog vaccination campaigns, improved sanitation, sustained public education and coordinated action by municipal authorities, Health Departments and Local Governments.
