Breaking Rabies Boundaries to Achieve Zero By 2030

World Rabies Day is observed every year, on 28th September to commemorate the Death Anniversary of the great microbiologist, Louis Pasteur, who developed the first efficacious rabies vaccine. The Day aims to raise awareness and serves as a reminder of a critical need to tackle one of the most dreadful but preventable diseases – rabies. World Rabies Day 2024 theme, “Breaking Rabies Boundaries”, emphasizes the importance of addressing challenges in eliminating rabies globally. Some countries are considered rabies-free, including American Samoa, Aruba, Antigua, Barbados, Australia, Bermuda, Belgium, Fiji, England, Tahiti, Guam, Ireland, Hawaii, Jamaica, Ireland, Malta, Japan, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Saint Lucia, Sweden, Singapore, St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the UK, and Vatican City. However, up to 95% of human rabies deaths occur in Africa and Asia, regions where dog rabies is inadequately managed. This disproportionately impacts impoverished rural communities, where rabies control programs and access to life-saving post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are either severely limited or unavailable.