World Rabies Day 2026: Stronger Together
Venue
OnlineEvent Date
28 Sep 2026 06:00PM
Event Type
Rabies kills an estimated 59,000 people every year, many of them children in Africa and Asia. Vaccinating dogs and treating bite victims promptly can prevent almost every one of these deaths. Countries have committed to ending human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030, a goal known as Zero by 30.
Message from the Director, AU-IBAR: "Stronger Together: From Strategy to Action"
Dr Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, calls on Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), AU institutions, partners and communities to move from commitment to implementation under PASERA. The strategy is built around seven interconnected priorities, from mass dog vaccination and access to PEP to surveillance, community engagement and sustainable financing.
"We do not need parallel efforts. We need connected, collaborative efforts… PASERA provides the common framework; however, our collective action will give it effect."
Webinar: Towards a Rabies-Free Africa: Lessons from the Field and the Road Ahead
To mark World Rabies Day on 28 September, CABI's One Health Knowledge Bank is hosting a webinar on how human, animal and environmental health experts can work together to reach Zero by 30. The Knowledge Bank brings together research with practical, local, and indigenous knowledge.
Speakers from the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), Swiss TPH, the Ifakara Health Institute and AU-IBAR will share lessons from mass dog vaccination in Chad and from post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and community engagement in Tanzania. AU-IBAR will present the Pan-African Strategy for the Elimination of Rabies in Africa (PASERA) 2026–2030. The strategy sets out how African countries will work together towards Zero by 30.
