Enhancing Rabies Prevention and Control in Rural Public Health Systems:
Lessons from a Tragic Incident in Henan Province, China
Abstract
The recent death of a 3-year-old boy in Henan, China, has brought
national attention to the systemic shortcomings in the management of
zoonotic diseases in the China’s rural healthcare system, despite the
child having had a full course of RIG treatment and post-exposure
vaccination. This case reveals poor vaccination and RIG reserves,
inadequate readiness in accordance with WHO guidelines, low-quality
wound care, and postponed treatment, all of which are made even worse by
the difficulty in accessing healthcare and the low level of public
health literacy in rural areas. In an effort to achieve health equity in
rural public health systems, this paper promotes the following measures
to help prevent future tragedies: increasing the availability of medical
resources; improving the capacity of rural healthcare workers to manage
high-risk zoonoses; enhancing health education; and putting strict
animal control measures in place.