Rabies Today

In the run up to World Rabies Day, an urgent need to ramp up public and health worker knowledge about this dangerous and deadly disease, not only in rabies-endemic countries but also in countries free from rabies. British nurse Robyn Thomson, whose mother died after a scratch from a puppy in Morocco, shares her  determination to raise rabies awareness across the UK's health sector. We also preview a 28-day countdown to World Rabies Day and a new series of community education films in multiple languages. WHO’s rabies lead Dr Bernadette Abela reflects on the current funding environment and urges us all to ‘stay creative’.Hosted by Dr Katie Hampson, University of Glasgow, with guests Robyn Thomson;  Kerenza Vlastou, Community and Outreach Director, GARC; Sarah Beeching, Adviser to United Against Rabies and Dr Bernadette Abela, Rabies Lead, Malaria and NTD team, World Health Organization. With contributions from Dr Madi Savadogo, Burkina Faso and Dr James Ngatia, Kenya. Send us a textWe would love to hear from you. You can find us on X/Twitter: UARForumLinkedIn: United Against RabiesInstagram: UnitedAgainstRabies_Facebook: United Against Rabies Join the conversation by using the hashtag #RabiesToday.Rabies Today is produced by United Against Rabies: working together to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. www.unitedagainstrabies.org

In Ukraine, rabies is rising among abandoned pets, and could spread to surrounding countries in Europe. We hear an urgent call for mass vaccination and sterilisation of dogs to avert catastrophe. In Tanzania,  international endorsement of the national rabies control plan is helping to secure more funding. And we are reminded of the critical importance of immediate and thorough wound-washing in any suspected rabies case. Unicef is keen to increase rabies awareness among children, families and health workers at community level and we introduce some practical new tools and resources from WHO to assist countries in their roll out of human rabies vaccines for PEP.Hosted by Professor Katie Hampson from the University of Glasgow with Dan Fine, documentary producer of “War Tails”, Dr Samwel Mngumi of Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in Tanzania, Ida-Marie Ameda, Unicef's Global Lead for Malaria and NTDs, and Dr Katie Corridan, World Health Organization.Send us a textWe would love to hear from you. You can find us on X/Twitter: UARForumLinkedIn: United Against RabiesInstagram: UnitedAgainstRabies_Facebook: United Against Rabies Join the conversation by using the hashtag #RabiesToday.Rabies Today is produced by United Against Rabies: working together to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. www.unitedagainstrabies.org

The battle against rabies is complex and difficult.  But imagine having to fight rabies in a country at war.  In this episode, we meet three people working in enormously challenging circumstances in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Ukraine. From Ukraine we learn that soldiers on the front line are being put at risk of rabies as abandoned animals reproduce and are running wild. In Afghanistan, international isolation makes vaccine procurement extremely difficult. And in South Sudan internal conflict further complicates rabies control efforts hindered by under-development.Join Professor Katie Hampson and her guests:Olha Vasylyshyn, Adoption Counsellor, Zoo Patrol UkraineDr Jalil Mohammadzai, Afghanistan Country Director, Mayhew InternationalDr Kevin Miheso, South Sudan Country Director, VSF Suisse Published December 2024Send us a textWe would love to hear from you. You can find us on X/Twitter: UARForumLinkedIn: United Against RabiesInstagram: UnitedAgainstRabies_Facebook: United Against Rabies Join the conversation by using the hashtag #RabiesToday.Rabies Today is produced by United Against Rabies: working together to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. www.unitedagainstrabies.org

South African rabies expert Kevin Le Roux told colleages at the United Against Rabies Forum in Cape Town that rabies data will never be perfect, so what is vital is to act to control the disease and save lives. Meanwhile Dr Joseph Nkhoma of Malawi points out that lack of data is a huge impediment to getting political and financial support for rabies control. Another hot topic at the UAR forum was the economic costs of rabies to lives and livelihoods - and who should pay for dog vaccination: ministries of health, or ministries of agriculture?Join Professor Katie Hampson for this special edition from the United Against Rabies Forum meeting in South Africa. Her guests include:Kevin Le Roux, Chair, National Rabies Advisory Group, South AfricaDr Joseph Nkhoma, National Rabies Focal Point, Ministry of Agriculture, MalawiIda-Marie Ameda, Global Malaria and NTD Adviser, UnicefProfessor James Wabacha, Animal Health Expert Consultant, AU IBARDr Kavosa Mudoga, Action for Protection of Animals AfricaDr Ryan Wallace, US Centers for Disease Controland also Dr Naseem Salahuddin, Pakistan; Dr Kanana Kimonya, Kenya; Dr Dereje, Ethiopia; Dr John Gokwisa, Tanzania; Dr Thierry Ouattara, Cote d’Ivoire and Dr Simbarashe Mabaya, Gavi. Send us a textWe would love to hear from you. You can find us on X/Twitter: UARForumLinkedIn: United Against RabiesInstagram: UnitedAgainstRabies_Facebook: United Against Rabies Join the conversation by using the hashtag #RabiesToday.Rabies Today is produced by United Against Rabies: working together to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. www.unitedagainstrabies.org

World Rabies Day is September 28th, an important day for community mobilization around dog vaccination and raising public awareness. But what's really successful when working with communities? And what is happening at national and international levels around World Rabies Day? This episode introduces the new Chair of United Against Rabies, Dr Lucille Blumberg, and also looks forward to the annual meeting of United Against Rabies partners in Cape Town.Hosted by Professor Katie Hampson, University of Glasgow, with Bosco Chinkonda, PhD Research Student, Malawi/UKDr Terence Scott, Director of Programs, Global Alliance for Rabies ControlDr Lucille Blumberg, Chair, United Against Rabies; National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa.Send us a textWe would love to hear from you. You can find us on X/Twitter: UARForumLinkedIn: United Against RabiesInstagram: UnitedAgainstRabies_Facebook: United Against Rabies Join the conversation by using the hashtag #RabiesToday.Rabies Today is produced by United Against Rabies: working together to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. www.unitedagainstrabies.org