September 28th – World Rabies Day

28 September this year will mark the 16th World Rabies Day. This year’s theme ‘Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths’ will highlight the connection of the environment with both people and animals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the stark vulnerabilities of health systems but it also demonstrated what collaboration across sectors can achieve.
Rabies control programmes offer a great example for One Health implementation and the structures and trust that underpin these are crucial for other zoonotic diseases, including those that are pandemic-prone.

The world has the vaccines, medicines, tools, and technologies to break the cycle of one of the oldest diseases.

Zero by 30: the global strategic plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 is an ambitious document with achievable targets. It is aligned with the new NTD road map that prioritizes integrated interventions and mainstreaming of NTD programmes within national health systems.

By collaborating and joining forces, enaging communities and committing to sustain dog vaccination, rabies can be eliminated. 

Facts:

• Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease which occurs in more than 150 countries and territories.
• Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans.
• Interrupting transmission is feasible through vaccination of dogs and prevention of dog bites.
• Infection causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa.
• Globally rabies causes an estimated cost of US$ 8.6 billion per year
• 40% of people bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years of age.
• Immediate, thorough wound washing with soap and water after contact with a suspect rabid animal is crucial and can save lives.
• Engagement of multiple sectors and One Health collaboration including community education, awareness programmes and vaccination campaigns are critical.
• WHO leads the collective “United Against Rabies” to drive progress towards "Zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030".

(WHO, 2022)

More information:
World Health Organization 
Slimību profilakses un kontroles centrs 
The Global Alliance for Rabies Control