Exploring Global Strategies to Combat Rabies: Addressing Limitations and Enhancing Effectiveness

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Public Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Rabies is a fatal viral disease impacting the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals and humans.
• It poses a significant global health threat, causing approximately 55,000 deaths annually, primarily in Africa and Asia.
• Human cases are overwhelmingly transmitted via infected animals, predominantly dogs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore global strategies for rabies control and prevention.
• To identify challenges impeding progress in rabies elimination efforts worldwide.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing rabies control strategies, including the One Health approach.
• Analysis of initiatives like mass dog vaccination and oral vaccination programs.
• Examination of factors hindering progress, such as policy enforcement and access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Main Results:

• Rabies presents in two forms: furious (agitation, hydrophobia) and paralytic (muscle weakness, paralysis).
• Effective control strategies exist, including mass dog vaccination and the 'Zero by 30' initiative targeting zero human deaths by 2030.
• Progress is hampered by issues like weak surveillance, inadequate dog population management, and limited access to PEP in low- and middle-income countries.

Conclusions:

• Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration among policymakers, health professionals, and environmental sectors is essential.
• Addressing implementation challenges is crucial for reducing the global rabies burden.
• Achieving global health objectives for rabies prevention requires sustained and collaborative efforts.