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www.who.int

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.

One Health

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.

Zero Deaths

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 2030¹ is an ambitious document with achievable targets. It is aligned with the new NTD road map² that prioritizes integrated interventions and mainstreaming of NTD programmes within national health systems.

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.

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