Rabies-free horizons: global success stories paving the road to 2030

Rabies continues to claim nearly 59,000 human lives annually, with the highest burden reported from Asia and Africa, especially among low-income communities. Rabies is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a neglected tropical disease (NTD). It disproportionately impacts over a billion people worldwide, particularly vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries located in tropical and subtropical regions, where it also poses a considerable economic burden, thus making it a major One Health concern. Recognizing the urgent need for action, leading global organizations—WHO, OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health), FAO, and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control—came together in 2015 to unite efforts against dog-mediated rabies. This collaboration culminated in 2018 with the launch of the “Zero by 30” strategic plan, which envisions the elimination of human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies by the year 2030 (Minghui et al., 2018). Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease that can be prevented through vaccination.