Where do we go from here?

The GARC newsletter generally concentrates on rabies news, but this month the implications of the US elections are at the forefront of many people’s minds. Love him or loathe him, Trump’s success represents an overthrow of the establishment and a period of uncertainty. How will his ascent to the presidency affect the world order? And—of course—what impact will this have on support for international aid and global rabies prevention efforts?

The whole non-profit sector is wondering what will happen next but, as Nonprofit Quarterly points out, “It is hard to see what parts of the rhetoric of the campaign will be brought forth, but we do have some control over how we will carry on.”

The answer to the question “where do we go from here?” is onwards and upwards. As a community committed to rabies prevention, we need to deepen our resolve, strengthen our links with like-minded organisations, and continue to push our advocacy efforts to make sure policy makers understand the importance and value of rabies prevention.

And with that in mind, in this issue we report on new developments in rabies control, including: an update to the Stepwise Approach to Rabies Elimination; a summary of the Rabies In The Americas conference in Brazil; promising research assessing the thermo-stability of an existing rabies vaccine; the winners of the World Rabies Day MSD Awards, and much more.

In the next issue we’ll give you a full report on the 10th World Rabies Day but today we can tell you that a fantastic 302 events were registered in 55 different countries, with increases in the number of events registered in 5 of the 7 regions. If you took part in an event, please do share your photos and experiences on the event’s unique page on our website or on Facebook and Twitter.

As always, we love to hear from you. If you have comments, suggestions or would like to submit an article for the newsletter, please get in touch.