GAVI investment should accelerate Rabies “Zero by 30” aspiration

Rabies has been known to humankind for at least 4000 years. In Eastern culture, rabies was considered a “curse,” ordained by destiny, to be treated by mystics and mendicants, but inevitably ending in agonizing, torturous death [1,2]. Around 59,000 rabies deaths still occur annually, and rabies remains a significant public health problem in many countries in Asia, South and Central America, and Africa, where unvaccinated, unowned, and stray dogs roam freely [3]. The highest-risk countries for travelers include Bolivia, China, Haiti, Nepal, Philippines, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.