Strengthening animal rabies surveillance through a public-private One Health collaboration: Insights from a field veterinarian workshop in Assam, India

Background: Surveillance of dog-mediated rabies in India remains constrained, especially in livestock and other animals by limited diagnostic access, biosafety concerns, fragmented reporting systems, and weak integration between field veterinary services and laboratories. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and One Health oriented capacity building are increasingly promoted as strategies to address these gaps, yet evidence on such approaches remains limited. A two-day workshop titled "Skill Enhancement of Field Veterinarians to Improve Surveillance of Dog-Mediated Rabies in Livestock and Wildlife in Assam" was organised on 25-26 July 2024 in Guwahati, Assam to strengthen field-level rabies surveillance by building sampling and transport capacity, introducing rapid LFA-based diagnostics, enhancing data reporting practices, and promoting a One Health perspective. This article aims to provide implementation of insights into rabies surveillance through One Health collaboration using a PPP approach. Methodology: This study presents an implementation-focused qualitative analysis through a PPP-led capacity-building workshop for field veterinarians in Assam, India. Structured group discussions held prior to hands-on training explored perceived barriers, operational challenges, and feasible strategies for improving animal rabies surveillance in resource-limited settings. Discussion outputs were thematically analysed to identify recurring system-level constraints and opportunities. Results: Thirty-two field veterinarians from 18 districts and one NGO participated in the workshop. Thematic analysis of group discussions highlighted five interlinked themes influencing rabies surveillance: (i) biosafety and sampling constraints at field level, (ii) limited diagnostic reach and transport logistics, (iii) uncertainty around rapid test interpretation and confirmatory pathways, (iv) fragmented reporting and feedback mechanisms, and (v) the need for institutional coordination across veterinary, public health, and wildlife sectors. Conclusions: This implementation report demonstrates how PPP-based One Health capacity building can generate practice-based insights from frontline veterinarians and inform feasible approaches to decentralise and strengthen animal rabies surveillance in resource constrained settings.