The United Against Rabies Forum
The United Against Rabies Forum is an inclusive network of public and private sector organisations, experts, development partners and civil society, committed to working together to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies.
The Forum was launched in 2020 by FAO, WOAH and WHO (the Tripartite) with the aim of accelerating and implementing a One Health approach as agreed in Zero by 30: the global strategic plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
The United Against Rabies Forum Steering Group, chaired by Lord Trees of the United Kingdom, sets the strategic direction of the United Against Rabies Forum.
Three active Working Groups have also been established, focused how to implement the Objectives set out in Zero by Thirty. Working Group participants come from a wide range of organisations across more than 20 countries, putting the inclusive spirit of the Forum into practice.
Rabies is a disease we can beat if we work together
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)
‘Rabies is one of the oldest diseases known to humans. Despite the fact that today we have highly effective vaccines against it, rabies remains a public health challenge in up to 150 countries. We have a bold vision: the global elimination of rabies by 2030. None of us can do it alone. But together, we can make rabies history.’
Dr Monique Eloit
Director General, World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
‘Speaking as a veterinarian, it is obvious that human and animal health are interconnected. People everywhere rely on healthy animals for their food, livelihoods and for companionship…We need all our partners in the wider animal and human health communities to join this collective endeavour. If we do pull together, we can make the elimination of human deaths from dog-mediated rabies a reality.’
Dr Qu Dongyu
Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
‘FAO is proud to be an active partner, with WHO and OIE, in launching the United Against Rabies Forum to elevate One Health approaches to controlling rabies. With combined effort, coordination and relatively modest investment, we can beat rabies. At the same time, we will be strengthening the systems we need to fight other zoonoses and secure the lives and livelihoods of future generations.’
Lord Alexander Trees
Chair, United Against Rabies Forum
‘I have had an interest in rabies ever since I was a student and am delighted to Chair the United Against Rabies Forum. We are building a broad and inclusive space to make knowledge and technical resources freely available for all those committed to ending human deaths from rabies by 2030. I know we can beat this disease, if we work together.’
Members
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
World Health Organization (WHO)
Action for Protection of Animals Africa
African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
Agence Nationale Sécurité Sanitaire Alimentaire Nationale (ANSES)
Animal and Plant Health Agency, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Centro Nacional de Servicios de Diagnóstico en Salud Animal, Mexico
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI)
German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC)
International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM)
Indus Hospital & Health Network
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante, Burkina Faso (IRSS)
Karnataka Veterinary, Animals and Fisheries Sciences University, India
MSD Animal Health
Mission Rabies
Murdoch University
National Food Agency, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia
National Veterinary Institute, Nigeria
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute (STPH)
The Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Romania
University of Edinburgh
University of Glasgow
University of Jos
University of Nairobi
University of Pennsylvania
University of Surrey
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore
US Centers for Disease Control (US CDC)
Veterinary Services and Animal Health, Israel
Washington State University
Working Groups
Working Group 1: Effective use of vaccines, medicines, tools and technologies
Participants are working to improve and streamline rabies reporting, map rabies control activities, provide tools to support those activities, and enhance access and use of dog vaccine and testing.
Working Group 2: Strategic and operational support
Participants are working on a national strategic plan template, documenting the main constraints faced by countries, and a roadmap to provide them with a pathway towards rabies elimination.
Working Group 3: Advocacy and resource mobilization
This group is developing strategies and messaging for the engagement of national and international resource partners and is creating a suite materials to engage public and private sector investors, media and civil society.
Governance and Policies
What we do
Providing a space to coordinate, share information and best practice to eliminate dog-mediated rabies.
How to join
Rabies is a disease we can beat – if we work together! Will you join us?