Images: On
Watch the 2022 United Against Rabies Forum webinar, focusing on the role of local authorities in tackling rabies and dog population management.
Diseases such as rabies are directly linked to dog population management, rates of dog vaccination and poor waste management which can prove a magnet for scavenging animals, yet mayors and local government leaders are rarely at the centre of national disease action plans.
Experience has shown that rabies elimination programmes starting at city level can provide the impetus to expand programmes nationally. Mass dog vaccinations, combined with education and access to healthcare and vaccines can deliver quick, cost effective and replicable results.
Framing rabies elimination programmes in the context of strengthening a One Health approach to disease management can improve urban resilience in the face of current health threats, and improve the ability of towns and cities to withstand future pandemic threats.