World Rabies Day 2024, History, Theme, Logo, Awareness Month

World Rabies Day 2024: World Rabies Day is observed on the global level on September 28th of every year to raise awareness about rabies diseases and their prevention and control. For UPSC candidates it is necessary to understand the the importance of World Rabies Day 2024 and its wide implications because it connects them with public health issues, global alliances, and India's role in combating this harmful disease.

Overview of World Rabies Day 2024

World Rabies Day 2024 will be commemorated on September 28, 2024, while focusing on the objective of raising awareness about rabies prevention and control. The theme for World Rabies Day 2024 is “Breaking Rabies Boundaries” to highlight the ongoing global efforts to overcome the barriers in the fight against rabies. Global efforts led by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control duly promote vaccination awareness and public education to reduce the cases of rabies worldwide.

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World Rabies Day 2024 Theme

The World Rabies Day 2024 Theme is decided as “Breaking Rabies Boundaries.” This theme for 2024 highlights the ongoing global efforts to overcome the geographical , social , and cultural barriers in the fight against rabies. By breaking such boundaries people all over the world can aim to ensure that all communities have access to the necessary knowledge to eliminate rabies.

World Rabies Day History

The first World Rabies Day was commemorated in 2007, which is led by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC). This initiative is established by GARC to educate the communities and individuals by raising global awareness and strengthening the efforts to eliminate human deaths from dog-mediated rabies. World Rabies Day 2024 continues the legacy of commemorating this day by reminding the people about the importance of rabies prevention.

How Do We Celebrate World Rabies Day?

World Rabies Day 2024 is commemorated all over the world by organizing various activities that promote rabies awareness, education, and prevention. Some common ways of celebrating World Rabies Day in India include:

• Vaccination Drives: Mass dog vaccination campaigns to prevent the spread of rabies.
• Awareness Programs: Educating the public, especially in rural areas, about the importance of timely vaccination, and first-aid measures after animal bites, and rabies transmission.
• Workshops and Webinars: Experts from the veterinary, medical, and public health sectors come together to share knowledge and best practices on rabies control.
• Social Media Campaigns: Online campaigns using hashtags, infographics, and informative content to spread awareness on a global scale.

In India, World Rabies Day 2024 is a significant event, considering the high number of rabies cases in India . Initiatives are taken at the national and state levels to promote vaccination, educate communities, and reduce human rabies deaths.

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What is Rabies?

Rabies is a viral disease that mostly affects mammals, including humans. Rabies is a disease primarily transmitted through the bite or saliva of an infected dog. Sometimes rabies is not detected in the primary stage and when clinical symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. However, rabies is a preventable disease through multiple vaccinations and promoting awareness about its symptoms and prevention.

Rabies Cases in India

India is endemic for rabies and accounts for 36% of the world's rabies deaths. According to the report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) , an estimated 20,000 people die from rabies each year in India , wherein dog bite is the primary cause of rabies. Most of the cases of rabies are reported in rural areas, where access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is limited.

The government of India continues to focus on rabies control, a crucial part of the nation’s public health agenda. Understanding India's rabies situation is critical for UPSC aspirants, especially about healthcare infrastructure, rural development, and disease prevention strategies.

Rabies Control Program in India

To address the issue of rabies in the country, the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) was approved during the 12th Five Year Plan by the Standing Finance Committee meeting on October 3, 2013. It operates as a Central Sector Scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM) to combat rabies.

Objectives of the Programme

• Training of Health Care Professionals: Focus on training healthcare workers on proper animal bite management and Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) .
• Promotion of the Intradermal Route for PEP: Promoting states to adopt the intradermal route for PEP and pre-exposure prophylaxis for high-risk groups.
• Strengthening Rabies Surveillance: Enhancing human rabies surveillance and monitoring across India.
• Regional Laboratories for Rabies Diagnosis: Strengthening regional labs under the NRCP for accurate rabies diagnosis.
• Community Awareness: Creating awareness through promotion, communication, and social mobilization about rabies prevention.

Components (State & District Level Activities)

1. Provision of ARV and ARS: Ensuring free Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS) for all animal bite victims, down to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) level, through the National Free Drug Initiative.
2. Capacity Building: Training healthcare professionals in administering rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.
3. IEC Campaigns: Increasing awareness among the general public about the importance of post-exposure prophylaxis.
4. Surveillance & Monitoring: Strengthening the surveillance of rabies cases and conducting monitoring through reviews, supervisory visits, and meetings.
5. Anti-Rabies Clinics: Strengthening district-level health facilities to provide comprehensive services, including rabies surveillance, counselling, and referrals.

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Challenges in Rabies Control in India

Despite these effective strategies and significant progress, India still faces challenges in its rabies control efforts, including:

• Lack of Awareness: In rural areas, many people are still unaware of the importance of post-exposure treatment which leads to preventable deaths.
• Stray Dog Population: India has a large population of stray dogs, without medical check-ups and vaccinations, a critical challenge for rabies control.
• Limited Access to Healthcare: Many rural and underserved areas do not have immediate access to life-saving vaccines and rabies immunoglobulins.

These challenges require sustained efforts, collaboration, and public health interventions to meet the Zero by 30 goals.

Conclusion

World Rabies Day 2024 is a critical moment for raising awareness about rabies prevention, particularly in high-burden countries like India. Understanding the global and national frameworks, including the Global Alliance for Rabies Control and India’s National Rabies Control Program , is essential for comprehensive preparation.

By focusing on prevention through vaccination, public education, and effective healthcare infrastructure, rabies can be controlled and eventually eliminated. This makes World Rabies Day 2024 not just an event but a critical reminder of the importance of public health initiatives on a global scale.

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