Education about rabies can save thousands of lives

Every September 28th is World Rabies Day to raise awareness and improve prevention and control. Louis Pasteur, who invented the anti-rabies vaccine, died on this day. In 2007, the Global Alliance for Rabies launched a worldwide campaign involving numerous major human and veterinary health organisations, including the WHO and OIE.

The theme of the 18th World Rabies Day was “Breaking Rabies Boundaries”, to emphasise the need to overcome barriers to fighting this devastating illness. Rabies causes agony and kills humans and animals in many regions of the globe.

“Breaking Rabies Boundaries” acknowledges both our controllable boundaries and rabies’ transboundary nature. The day raises awareness of the disease’s effects on people and animals, provides guidance on preventing it in at-risk populations, and advocates for better rabies control.

Rabies-infected dogs can be found in Kenya. Some terrestrial fauna has rabies. Rabies uses humans as its terminal host, meaning that once a person contracts the disease, death is certain.

We can only prevent this illness by taking an oath today to regularly vaccinate our pets, adopt stray dogs, vaccinate them against rabies, reduce their population, and educate the public about rabies. Notification is also crucial to avoiding rabies. Events at local or national levels may spread rabies prevention messages to any size audience. Education about rabies can save lives.