The Blueprint and Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination

The Blueprint for Canine Rabies Prevention and Control is an online resource developed by global rabies experts to enable ministries and other interested parties to help themselves through the process of designing, implementing and evaluating a large scale rabies control programme. 

The Blueprint provides:

  • Detailed, practical guidance on rabies control
  • Single online point of access to all relevant international resources 
  • Modules on canine rabies, fox rabies and surveillance
  • User-friendly, Frequently Asked Questions format

The Canine Rabies Blueprint incorporates the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE). The SARE tool provides measurable steps, designed as a logical flow of activities, to progress from Stage 0 to Stage 5, in efforts towards freedom from dog-transmitted rabies. Countries with no information on rabies start at Stage 0, while others may start further along the scale, and when the country reaches Stage 5, it is free from dog-transmitted rabies.

The SARE tool, when used with the rest of the Canine Rabies Blueprint, provides guidance on institutional responsibilities concerning each activity and who might carry out the work. It encourages relevant stakeholders to work together to progress from stage to stage towards rabies elimination.

Regional networks such as the Pan-African Rabies Control Network (PARACON) are using the SARE tool to self-assess the status of the rabies prevention and control programmes in each country as well as to identify gaps and challenges.