World Rabies Day (WRD), held every year on 28 September, is a day of action for WOAH Members and partners to raise awareness and advocate for rabies elimination regionally and beyond. In 2024, we celebrate the 18th World Rabies Day with a new theme which emphasizes new ideas and innovations in the fight against rabies.
The theme this year (as set by WOAH partner the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, or GARC) is “Breaking Rabies Boundaries”, emphasizing the need to move beyond the status quo, as rabies elimination remains elusive for many parts of the world, especially in the region. It encourages breaking existing boundaries, overcoming misconceptions, and dynamic movement and focus on the goal. A banner offered for use is (available for download here):
...overcoming misconceptions, and dynamic movement and focus on the goal.
This year, WOAH RRAP and SRR-SEA representation offices will publish stories on great efforts by our Members, to offer examples of how to take steps towards rabies elimination following this year’s theme of “Breaking Rabies Boundaries”. These will be published closer to the date; you may keep updated via this page or at our site’s News section.
If you are interested in submitting a story showcasing efforts in your country towards rabies elimination, please email [email protected] with “WOAH WRD 2024” in the subject.
For your social media awareness campaigns, you may wish to use the resources listed below. You may also consider using the following hashtags for your social media posts, to highlight WRD and rabies issues:
#WRD2024 #WorldRabiesDay #Zeroby30 #EndRabiesNow #BreakingRabiesBoundaries #BreakingBoundaries #ParticipationMatters #VaccinateToEliminate
Infographic on rabies
Social media card
WRD is also a chance for the regional community to join a global movement rooted in local action and engagement. You may find a listing of WRD events organised in the region (registered with GARC), which may also serve as inspiration for how you might celebrate World Rabies Day.