World Rabies Day 2022

World Rabies Day aims to raise awareness and advocate for rabies elimination globally, helping to unite all people, organisations, and stakeholders in the fight against rabies. It is held on 28 September each year to celebrate the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur, who was the first person to successfully create a vaccine against rabies.

This year's theme "Rabies: One Health, Zero Deaths" aims to remind the global community that the goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030 (Zero by 30) is possible, if we come together and stand united to make positive changes.

See the Global Alliance for Rabies Control website for further information on this year’s theme and how you can get involved with the World Rabies Day campaign.

What is Rabies?

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic viral disease that is spread through the saliva or nervous system tissues of an infected mammal to another mammal.

• Rabies is virtually 100% fatal
• More than 59,000 people die from rabies every year
• Over 95% of these deaths are in Africa and Asia, with the majority occurring from rabid dog bites
• 40% of those bitten by suspect rabid animals are children under 15 years
• Effective and safe vaccines exist for both humans and dogs, and if given are highly protective

See the TRAVAX Rabies page for additional information on the disease.