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Who We Are

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.

African family and dog
© World Animal Protection
African family and dog
© World Animal Protection
African family and dog
© World Animal Protection

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 Health Organization (WHO)

World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)

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

Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA)

Centro Nacional de Servicios de Diagnóstico en Salud Animal, Mexico

Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Cote d’Ivoire (CSRS)

Ceva Santé Animale

Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC)

Department of Health Promotion and Hygiene, Municipality of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso 

Disease Investigation Farm/Regional Laboratory, Bono-East, Ghana

Dogs Trust Worldwide

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

FOUR PAWS International

Federal Research Institute for Animal Health: 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)

Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania

International Companion Animal Management Coalition (ICAM)

Indus Hospital & Health Network

Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante, Burkina Faso (IRSS)

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe)

Karnataka Veterinary, Animals and Fisheries Sciences University, India

Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA)

Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue

Mérieux Foundation

MSD Animal Health

Mission Rabies

Murdoch University

National Food Agency, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

National Veterinary Institute, Nigeria

One Health Alliance Jordan

One Health Dog Equity Inc

Oshun Partnership

Pak One Health Alliance

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Philippines

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (STPH)

The Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Romania

University of Abuja

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 and Prevention (US CDC)

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International

Veterinary Services and Animal Health, Israel

Washington State University

Zoetis


Working Groups

© Mission Rabies

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.

© FAO

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.

© FAO

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.

Man and dog

What we do

Providing a space to coordinate, share information and best practice to eliminate dog-mediated rabies.

Happy African woman and dog

How to join

Rabies is a disease we can beat – if we work together! Will you join us?