IFAH statement on World Rabies Day 2012

Brussels, 28 September 2012 – World Rabies Day, an international campaign coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), takes place each year on 28 September, the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur who, with the collaboration of his colleagues, developed the first efficacious rabies vaccine in the 1880s. On the occasion of World Rabies Day, Barbara Freischem, Executive Director of the International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH) said: “The provision of effective vaccines to animals, including wildlife, in conjunction with appropriate long term animal health policies have controlled rabies in some parts of the world so effectively that researchers today speak of the possibility of the global elimination of the virus. Yet rabies still accounts for animal and human deaths each year – more than 50,000 human deaths annually according to the WHO. Continuous investment in breakthrough technologies and innovation is imperative to control diseases amongst animals as well as their spread to humans, as are appropriate government strategies for disease eradication. Human and animal health are inextricably linked, so we should address health challenges collaboratively. This is the premise of the One Health approach. We need to continue to collaborate and coordinate our efforts to encourage the adoption of eradication strategies, supported by making animal vaccines more widely available to eradicate rabies once and for all.” Notes for editors IFAH The International Federation for Animal Health (IFAH) is an organisation representing manufacturers of veterinary medicines, vaccines and other animal health products in both developed and developing countries across five continents. The mission of IFAH is to foster a greater understanding of animal health matters and promote a predictable, science-based regulatory environment that facilitates the supply of innovative and quality animal medicines, vaccines and other animal health products into a competitive market place. These products contribute to a healthy and safe food supply as well as a high standard of health and welfare for animals and people.

For further information on IFAH, please visit www.ifahsec.org