World Rabies Day is observed every year on September 28 to raise awareness about the prevention of rabies and to emphasize the progress made in overcoming this deadly disease.

September 28 also marks the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, who had developed the first rabies vaccine. Safe and effective animal and human vaccines are one of the crucial tools that can help eliminate human deaths from rabies. Additionally, awareness about the disease guides success of communities to engage in effective rabies prevention.

Rabies is a preventable disease, yet over 59,000 individuals die from the disease across the globe every year. World Rabies Day is an opportunity to contemplate on the efforts made to control rabies and is a reminder that the fight is far from over. Leading health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), are working towards eliminating human deaths from rabies by 2030… (WHO; CDC)