The World Rabies Day is an endeavour taken place to reinforce awareness and battle against rabies in a global manner. It was established by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) and recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) every 28th of September, paying homage to the remarkable individual Louis Pasteur, the inventor of the rabies vaccine.
The significance of reserving a special day for the disease of rabies arose with the dreadful statistics that show a fatality rate of 100% and estimations of 60,000 human deaths by rabies annually, 40% of them children. In addition to that, the fact that most patients are victims of rabies due to negligence, ignorance, or the inadequate primary health care services is another reason as to why such a day has become a necessity.
Rabies is a deadly, infectious zoonotic disease which affects the central nervous system.This disease occurs in more than 150 countries and mostly common in Asia and Africa. It is even considered as an endemic in countries like Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. There are two types of rabies called furious rabies and paralytic rabies. Both humans and animals (domestic and wild) are capable of contacting rabies. In most cases domestic dogs are responsible for human rabies. Thus, eradication of human rabies strongly depends on eradication of dog rabies.
While rabies is indeed fatal in the face of an infection, it is also preventable. Accourding to WHO, taking measures such as “provision of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) to exposed patients, preexposure immunization of people at high risk of exposure, control of infection in animal reservoirs, and control of dog populations” is the way to eliminate rabies. PAHO says, “obtaining satisfactory canine vaccination coverage…effective epidemiological surveillance are essential to reduce disease incidence.”
The World Rabies Day 2023 kick starts with its theme “All for 1, One Health for all”, reminding that joint effort wins. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says this theme, “highlights the need to implement an intersectoral and multidisciplinary approach with the contribution, intervention and cooperation of professional teams from the human, animal and environmental health sectors.”.
Under this year’s theme, one can celebrate World Rabies Day 2023 by initiating and participating in vaccination campaigns, educational seminars, advocating for dog vaccination and running dog population management campaigns! Let’s join hands as one to make One Health available to every human being!
