New global framework to eliminate rabies

A new framework to eliminate human rabies and save tens of thousands of lives each year has been launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Alliance for the Control of Rabies (GARC).

The framework calls for 3 key actions — making human vaccines and antibodies affordable, ensuring people who get bitten receive prompt treatment, and mass dog vaccinations to tackle the disease at its source.

"Rabies is 100% preventable through vaccination and timely immunisation after exposure, but access to post-bite treatment is expensive and is not affordable in many Asian and African countries. If we follow this more comprehensive approach, we can consign rabies to the history books," says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.