Rabies is a disease that spans many borders, both geographical and biological. The disease is present on every continent except Antarctica, and can be found in wildlife, dogs and humans. 59,000 people around the world die from the disease every year, and millions of dogs are killed in a misdirected effort to stem the spread of the disease. Ending this suffering is why the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) have organized World Rabies Day, celebrated each year on September 28.

Rabies is a preventable disease, and there are many heroes working to make rabies history. Do you know one of these heroes? Then consider nominating them for the World Rabies Day Award!

The annual World Rabies Day Awards recognize Community Rabies Champions from across the world and share the stories of people and organisations working to prevent rabies in their communities. The theme of this year’s World Rabies day is “Vaccinate to Eliminate.” The theme can be used to raise awareness at many levels, for example:

• To ensure that dogs are kept vaccinated - as a reminder to dog owners, animal health professionals and local governments
• To help people in need to seek and obtain post-exposure vaccines (PEP) – through human health professionals and educators
• To commit to the 2030 goal of eliminating rabies deaths – with national governments putting resources into rabies elimination

You can read more about the awards and make your nominations, as well as find the award criteria, on the GARC website, but remember that the deadline to make your nominations is September 6!

In addition, you’re invited to register your World Rabies Day events. GARC has plenty of resources for you to plan your events, including an event toolkit, social media kit, posters, radio scripts and more. There’s even a full World Rabies Day event manual!

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