HISTORY

In Africa and Asia, over 98% of all human deaths are caused as a result of bites inflicted by infected dogs, can human rabies in these continents actually be eliminated? In the middle of the last century canine rabies was eliminated in both the USA and in the UK using mass public awareness campaigns and legislation to institute mandatory canine vaccination programs. 

Since it has been proven in various countries that rabies can be eliminated, why do more than 55, 000 people (60 to 70% of which are children less than 15 years of age) continue to die of rabies each year in Asia and Africa? It is because rabies continues to be a neglected disease throughout the world, especially in these two continents. Realizing that rabies is a totally preventable disease through increased educational awareness and by employing the tools that are already available, a group of international rabies experts decided that it was time to take action.

Between 2003 and 2005, a team of international rabies experts met to consider the scale of the global rabies problem and recognized the need for a multi-disciplinary group to focus efforts on combating this terrible disease. Recognizing these priorities, the team of rabies experts formed the Alliance for Rabies Control established as a United Kingdom charity in January 2006 (SC 037112) and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, a registered 501 C3 Charity was established in the USA in 2007.

The Alliance represents a new kind of initiative in the field of rabies: an independent, non-profit organization, bringing together all stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, involved in the field of rabies, this group represents the medical, veterinary, wildlife and animal welfare professions.

To view the complete history of the Alliance for Rabies Control click here.