Rabies is one of the most important zoonotic diseases affecting both animals and humans and causing an approximate of 59,000 human deaths annually in the world with majority of cases from Asia and African continents.
As part of the global effort to eliminate dog mediated Rabies by 2030, India has already the developed the ‘National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination from India by 2030 (NAPRE) with collaborative efforts of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India in consultation with other stakeholders. Both Central and State governments in India support vaccination of dogs as well as support urban local bodies and NGOs for carrying out Animal Birth Control Program and Anti-Rabies vaccination programs for stray dogs.
To raise rabies awareness and bring partners together to improve global prevention and control efforts, globally, World Rabies Day is being observed since last 16 years on September 28. World Rabies Day is an opportunity to consider how rabies affects the community all over the world. In 2020, the ‘KVAFSU-CVA Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory’, Veterinary college, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), Bengaluru, India has been recognized as OIE (Now re designated as WOAH) Reference Laboratory for Rabies.
This year, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) , Government of India; Department of Animal Husbandry and Vety. Services (DAHVS) , Govt of Karnataka; Karnataka Veterinary Council (KVC) and Karnataka Veterinary, animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) have jointly organized the World Rabies Day with a series of events on 28th September 2022 at Bengaluru, Karnataka. The day's event included Walkathon for the awareness of the general public, Free anti rabies vaccination for dogs at Veterinary college, KVAFSU, Hebbal, Bengaluru; Inaugural program followed by Technical program. The technical program was attended by experts from WHO, WOAH (Founded as OIE), CVA, Veterinary and Medical professionals, Researchers, policy makers, administrators, NGOs, AWOs, Companies and students . The program was a grand success with nearly 300 participants in person and more than 800 participants joining the event on line globally.