World Rabies Day
World Rabies Day is an international campaign coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, a non-profit organization with headquarters in the United States and the United Kingdom.[1] It is a United Nations Observance[2] and has been endorsed by international human and veterinary health organizations such as the World Health Organization,[3] the Pan American Health Organization,[4] the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,[5] and the World Veterinary Association.[6] World Rabies Day takes place each year on September 28, the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur who, with the collaboration of his colleagues, developed the first efficacious rabies vaccine. World Rabies Day aims to raise awareness about the impact of rabies on humans and animals, provide information and advice on how to prevent the disease, and how individuals and organizations can help eliminate the main global sources.[7]
Rabies
Rabies is still a significant health problem in many countries of the world. Over 99% of all human deaths that are caused by infected dogs usually occur in Africa and Asia, especially in regions with large numbers of unvaccinated community and domestic dogs.[8] With the exception of Antarctica, people and animals on every continent are at risk of contracting rabies.[9]
History of World Rabies Day
The first World Rabies Day campaign took place in September 2007 as a partnership between the Alliance for Rabies Control and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA (CDC), with the co-sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/AMRO).[10] In 2009, after three World Rabies Days, the Alliance for Rabies Control estimated that rabies prevention and awareness events had taken place in over 120 countries, that over 100 million people worldwide had been educated about rabies and that nearly 3 million dogs had been vaccinated during events linked to the campaign.[11]
World Rabies Day events
Events held to mark World Rabies Day range from symposia on current rabies control methods and public events for raising awareness about good prevention practice, to sponsored walks, runs or bike rides, to free or externally-subsidized vaccination clinics for dogs. According to the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, in 2009 over 300 events were held in 105 countries, involving more than 775,000 people.[12]
See also
References
- ^ Global Alliance for Rabies Control Website [1], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ United Nations Observances Calendar [2], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Health Organization [3], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ Pan American Health Organization [4], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [5], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Veterinary Association [6], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Rabies Day website [7], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Health Organization [8], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Health Organization [9], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Health Organization [10], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Rabies Day Website [11], accessed November 16th, 2010.
- ^ World Rabies Day Website [12], accessed November 16th, 2010.
![[9]](http://www.who.int/rabies/Global_Rabies_ITH_2008.png){kind=link}
External links
- World Rabies Day – Official Site
- The Global Alliance for Rabies Control
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - Rabies information
- World Health Organization Rabies information
- Pan American Health Organization - Rabies information
- American Veterinary Medical Association - Rabies information
- US Department of Agriculture - National Rabies Management Program
- Educational Videos on Rabies