Tidman R, Thumbi SM, Wallace R, Balogh KD, Iwar V, Dieuzy-Labaye I, Song J, Shadomy S, Qiu Y, Torres G, Hutchison J, Abela-Ridder B, Bote K, Beeching S, Cronin K, Trees A (2022). United Against Rabies Forum: The One Health Concept at Work. Frontiers in public health. Vol 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.854419
Introduction
Despite being entirely preventable, rabies threatens the lives of millions of people in up to 150 countries and kills an estimated 59, 000 people each year (1). The virus is transmitted through bites and scratches from infected animals, and while a variety of animals can host rabies, more than 95% of human rabies deaths are the result of infection from a rabid dog bite (2). Without prompt access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), infection is fatal (2).There is considerable global commitment to the elimination of dog-mediated rabies. In 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), World Health Organisation (WHO) (the Tripartite) and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) developed Zero by 30: The Global Strategic Plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 (Zero by 30) (3). Central to this comprehensive strategy is a One Health approach which recognizes the intimate links between human, animal and environmental health, and promotes intersectoral collaboration to tackle public health challenges (3).The COVID-19 pandemic has made One Health a policy priority in relation to future pandemic preparedness and the design of disease prevention and control strategies. The challenge is how to turn the One Health concept into practical action, especially in low-income settings. The current crisis has overwhelmed health systems and led to the redeployment of public health resources, resulting in setbacks to the control of endemic and neglected diseases such as rabies (4). However, rabies elimination can be a way to improve human and animal health system collaboration, boost engagement with communities and build workforce capacity, whilst delivering tangible results to the communities most vulnerable to rabies and other neglected diseases.The United Against Rabies Forum (UAR Forum), an international One Health initiative, sets out to strengthen collaboration and coordination among partners, reduce fragmentation and coalesce cross-sector efforts, as well as supporting countries and regions to progress their rabies elimination efforts. Sustained political commitment and investment into such initiatives will not only end human deaths from rabies but will build One Health capacity to improve the response to other endemic and emerging infectious diseases, including those with pandemic potential.