September 28 is World Rabies Day, a global health observance started in 2007 to raise awareness about the world’s deadliest infectious disease and bring together partners to enhance prevention and control efforts worldwide.
This year’s World Rabies Day theme is: “One Health, Zero Death” which will highlight the connection of the environment with both people and animals.
World Rabies Day is an opportunity to reflect on how rabies impacts your community and other communities around the world.
Because of high vaccination levels in dogs and cats in the U.S., rabies in pets or other domesticated animals is relatively rare. However, rabies in dogs is common in many other countries. In fact, roughly a quarter of reported human rabies deaths among people in the United States result from dog bites they received during international travel. The best way to protect yourself, your family, and your pets is to keep dogs and cats up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
While rabies is a 100% preventable disease, nearly 60,000 people die from the disease around the world each year. World Rabies Day is an opportunity to reflect on our efforts to control this deadly disease and remind ourselves that the fight against rabies is not yet over.
The world has the vaccines, medicines, tools, and technologies to break the cycle of one of the oldest diseases.
Zero by 30: Global Strategic Plan for the elimination of dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030 is an ambitious document with achievable targets.
The integrated approaches advocated in both the Global Strategic Plan for rabies and the road map are relevant, as they show the importance of working together optimally and collaboratively in face of numerous challenges, as experienced during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
It is therefore critical to work with stakeholders, champions, and people at community, local, national, and global levels to rebuild and strengthen health systems and rabies control programs.
Courtesy : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organisation
