World Rabies Day 2009

Our Partners

Supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the initiative was created and is coordinated by the Alliance for Rabies Control. If you are interested in becoming a Partner, please contact !Please, turn on JavaScript or go to the contact us page!, Executive Director of the Alliance for Rabies Control or !Please, turn on JavaScript or go to the contact us page!, World Rabies Day Campaign Coordinator. If you would like to introduce this initiative to other potential partners, please feel free to use our introductory presentation.

World Rabies Day is supported by the informal group "Partners for Rabies Prevention"

Alliance for Rabies Control
The Alliance for Rabies Control is the creator and coordinator of the World Rabies Day initiative. It was created to alleviate the burden of rabies across the developing world by promoting and implementing public health and education programmes, whilst addressing the needs of wildlife conservation and animal welfare.

Centers for Disease Control
The Rabies Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia is responsible both domestically and internationally for providing epidemic aid, consultation, surveillance, epidemiologic studies, and ecologic investigations of rabies-associated illness. The CDC supports advances in rabies treatment, and promotes rabies prevention and control programs both in the United States and abroad. CDC serves as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Rabies, providing reference or diagnostic services throughout the world. The CDC Rabies Team is taking a lead role in promoting and encouraging World Rabies Day awareness activities around the world.

Crucell
Crucell N.V. (Euronext, NASDAQ: CRXL; Swiss Exchange: CRX) is a global biotechnology company focused on research, development, production and marketing of vaccines, proteins and antibodies that prevent and treat primarily infectious diseases. Its vaccines are sold in public and private markets worldwide. Crucell's core portfolio includes a vaccine against hepatitis B, a fully-liquid vaccine against five important childhood diseases and a virosome-adjuvanted vaccine against influenza. Crucell also markets travel vaccines, such as the only oral anti-typhoid vaccine, an oral cholera vaccine and the only aluminum-free hepatitis A vaccine on the market. The Company has a broad development pipeline, with several product candidates based on its unique PER.C6® production technology. The Company licenses its PER.C6® technology and other technologies to the biopharmaceutical industry. Important partners and licensees include DSM Biologics, sanofi-aventis, Novartis, Wyeth and Merck & Co. Crucell is headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands, with subsidiaries in Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Korea and the US. The Company employs over a 1000 people. For more information, please visit http://www.crucell.com/.

Fredrich-Loeffler-Institute
Created in 1910 the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut is one of the oldest virological institutes in the world.

The current work focuses on farm animal health and welfare and on the protection of humans from zoonoses as defined in the German Animal Diseases Act. The FLI does basic and applied research in different scientific fields, such as physiology, ethology, epidemiology, immunology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, and related sciences. The work aims at: the prevention of diseases by developing and improving rapid diagnostics and prophylactic measures, providing the background for modern control strategies for animal diseases and zoonoses, improving farm animal husbandry in compliance with animal welfare, preserving the genetic diversity of farm animals and supporting the efficient utilisation of animal feed as basis for the production of high quality animal-based foodstuffs. As a federal research institute and independent higher federal authority under the Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, the FLI has a consultative function which helps provide the scientific basis for political decision-making. It also performs epidemiological investigations during outbreaks of animal diseases and prepares risk assessments on various infectious diseases of farm animals. In addition to certain vaccines against animal diseases, the FLI mainly licenses diagnostics for infectious animal diseases. At present, the FLI has approximately 850 employees in eleven institutes at seven locations. The FLI houses more than 40 national reference laboratories for notifiable animal diseases and 8 international reference laboratories of the world organisation for animal health (OIE), respectively.

The FLI was designated a "Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research" of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1974 and also runs a "Collaborating Centre for Zoonoses in Europe" of the OIE. Important terms of reference of the WHO CC are to (i) collect, analyze and distribute rabies surveillance data via the Rabies Bulletin Europe, (ii) conduct research on oral vaccination of wildlife and dogs, epidemiological and laboratory diagnostics of rabies and epidemiology of rabies in neozoa and bats and (iii) to provid support and expertise for rabies surveillance and control measures.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Intervet International, Schering-Plough
Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform to human prescription and consumer products as well as to animal health products. Schering-Plough's vision is "To Earn Trust, Every Day" with the doctors, patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its colleagues around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., and its Web site is http://www.schering-plough.com/schering_plough/index.jsp.

Institute Pasteur

Sanofi Pasteur
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, provided more than 1.6 billion doses of vaccine in 2007, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, sanofi pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The Company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: http://www.sanofipasteur.com/ or http://www.sanofipasteur.us/.

Merial
Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs more than 5,000 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2007 sales were nearly $2.5 billion. Merial Limited is a joint venture between Merck & Co., Inc. and sanofi-aventis. For more information, please visit http://www.merial.com/.

Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics
Novartis Vaccines, the vaccines division of Novartis, is the world's fifth-largest vaccines business. Novartis Vaccines is the world's second-largest manufacturer of flu vaccines and has important meningococcal, pediatric and travel vaccine franchises. The company's portfolio of products includes vaccines for influenza, meningitis, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, Haemophilus influenzae B (Hib), polio, mumps, measles and rubella and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com/.

Veterinary Laboratories Agency - VLA, United Kingdom
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra ). It was created in 1995 following the merger of the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), an agency since 1990, with the Veterinary Investigation Centres (VICs), formerly part of the State Veterinary Service of MAFF. It currently employs around 1,400 people including scientists, administrators, laboratory attendants, animal technicians and veterinarians. It is the national and international reference laboratory for a wide range of animal diseases. VLA is made up of 16 laboratories, which includes a 368-acre site at Weybridge in Surrey and 15 regional laboratories across the UK. The Weybridge site includes five farms. There are also two Surveillance Centres provided under contract by the Liverpool and London veterinary schools.

The Rabies and Wildlife Zoonoses Group (RWZG) based at VLA in Weybridge was designated a World Health Organisation Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response Collaborating Centre for the characterisation of rabies and rabies-related viruses in 2002. This was followed in 2006 when the laboratory was designated an OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies. The RWZG forms part of the VLA Statutory and Exotic Virus (SEV) programme, which encompasses surveillance and research activities. Surveillance involves consultancy, maintenance of expertise, fieldwork, laboratory testing and test development. The research underpins the surveillance work and provides evidence required by Defra and the UK Department of Health (DoH), to inform policy and control strategies. The laboratory is licensed to undertake diagnostic testing on samples from both animal and human origin.

The VLA Mission Statement: "We safeguard public and animal health through world class veterinary research and surveillance".

World Veterinary Association
The World Veterinary Association serves the Veterinary Profession, Veterinary Medicine and Science and promotes its rights, standards and competence. It serves the societies at global international level. It promotes animal and human health and wellbeing through sustainable and humane use and management of animals. It contributes to the protection and sustainability of the environment.

Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information. We help developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. Since our founding in 1945, we have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people.

World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is an intergovernmental organisation with a mandate from its 174 Member Countries and Territories to improve world animal health. In this capacity, the OIE is responsible for ensuring transparency of the animal disease situation worldwide, including diseases transmissible to humans, and the sanitary safety of world trade of animals and animal products. The OIE publishes international standards in all fields covered by its mandate, including animal welfare and food safety.
Prevention of diseases at the animal source is the ultimate key in dealing with a prevalent and perennial zoonosis like rabies. Animal vaccination remains the method of choice to control and eradicate rabies. It is therefore the prime responsibility of the veterinary profession to apply its knowledge and skills in animal disease control to create a protective immune buffer between the animal source of the disease and susceptible human beings.
Good governance of veterinary services, better laboratory diagnostic capacity and vaccination campaigns in domesticated and wild animals are thus key actions to be taken. The OIE fully supports the efforts to raise public awareness of rabies and the need for collaboration with other professions and the public health sector.

In-Kind Support for World Rabies Day Provided by:

Google Inc.
Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. See www.google.com.

Kansas State University
The KSU College of Veterinary Medicine heralds a sentinel role in the World Rabies Day campaign as both the former and current rabies laboratory directors are fundamental to the concept and establishment of the initiative. In addition to resources at the college level, the Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory contribute tangible resources and support to the World Rabies Day initiative.

World Health Organization (WHO)
The mission of the World Rabies Day is in accordance with the WHO Strategy for the prevention and eventual elimination of dog-mediated human rabies, the WHO Recommendations for the prevention of human rabies through providing timely rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (WHO Position Paper on Vaccines) and controlling the disease in its canine reservoir.

Outreach Partners:

Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs
The mission of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs is to expedite the successful introduction of methods to non-surgically sterilize dogs and cats and to support the distribution and promotion of these products to humanely control cat and dog populations worldwide.

American Animal Hospital Association
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is an organization serving veterinarians and members of their staffs, who are engaged in the delivery of veterinary medical care to pets. In addition to providing educational programs and publications and various services to practices, the Association publishes Standards for veterinary practices. AAHA has resources available on-line for both pet owners and professionals.

American Association of Feline Practitioners
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) improves the health and well-being of cats by supporting high standards of practice, continuing education, and scientific investigation. AAFP works to do all things necessary to promote the interests, to improve the public stature and increase the knowledge of veterinarians in the field of feline medicine and surgery.

American Veterinary Medical Association
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is one of the largest and oldest non-profit for veterinarians in the world. The AVMA represents more than 75,000 veterinarians who use their professional training in a variety of ways – from private practice to public health, agriculture, food safety, academia, and the military. The objective of the Association is to advance the science and art of veterinary medicine, including its relationship to public health, biological science, and agriculture.

Animal Medical Care Foundation
The Animal Medical Care Foundation supports 29 shelters worldwide with medicine, medical equipment and other related care goods.

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) represents all 32 veterinary medical colleges in the United States and Canada, nine departments of veterinary science, seven departments of comparative medicine, three veterinary medical education institutions, and six international colleges of veterinary medicine in its collective dealings with governmental bodies, veterinary medical organizations, the animal and human health industry, educational and scientific organizations and the public.

Association for the Control of Rabies in India
The association for the Prevention and Control of Rabies in India promotes co-ordination amongst all persons, institutions, organizations and others engaged in or interested in or connected with or working for prevention and control of rabies in India.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations
The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. The ASEAN Vision 2020, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders on the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN, agreed on a shared vision of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies. For more information, please visit http://www.aseansec.org/ or www.aseanplus3-eid.info.

British Veterinary Association
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is the national representative body for the veterinary profession with over 10,600 members. In promoting and supporting the interests of our members, and the animals under their care, the BVA is committed to developing and maintaining channels of communication not least with government, parliamentarians and the media. The BVA is represented on the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, the World Veterinary Association and the International Veterinary Officers Council and has an active Overseas Group.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada’s people, environment and economy. The main objective of CFIA’s rabies program is to prevent the transmission of rabies from animals to humans. The CFIA rabies program investigates rabies exposures, provides rabies diagnostics and surveillance, and acts cooperatively with other jurisdictions in the management of rabies from wildlife.

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) is the national professional association of Canadian veterinarians. The association supports the veterinary profession through development of programs and services intended for its members. CVMA's three priorities are: the successful practice of veterinary medicine, leadership on national and international issues affecting the veterinary profession and animal welfare advocacy. The association publishes authoritative position statements on veterinary medicine and animal health and welfare issues, and two journals - The Canadian Veterinary Journal and The Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. CVMA manages http://www.animalhealthcare.ca/, an interactive Web site for animal owners, and oversees the Canadian Veterinary Reserve, a source of pre-trained veterinarians and animal health technologists who may be called upon in declared emergencies to supplement relief efforts.

Canine Life Support
Canine Life Support is a Dutch registered non-profit organization based in Sri Lanka. We provide food, shelter and (medical) care to Sri Lanka canines. We work according to a protocol: R.I.V.S.: Registration, Identification, Vaccination and Sterilization. After this we release the dogs back into the same area they were picked up from as soon as possible. Canine Life Support believes that the most powerful weapon is information and education. By informing people about animal welfare and animal interaction we want to raise awareness amongst communities. By talking to locals, visiting schools and through leading by example we aim to create a safe and healthy living environment for both people and animals.

City Zero
City Zero and the Hackworth Design Studio specialize in website, logo design, and on-line marketing. Hackworth Design has assisted the World Rabies Day Coordination team in the development of multi-language logos, website graphics, and an aggressive eMarketing campaign.

Commonwealth Veterinary Association
The Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) was founded in 1967. Membership is open to National Veterinary Associations of Commonwealth member countries. Currently the CVA has 52 members with each member association being represented on a Regional Council. There are six regions representing Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Canada/Caribbean, East, Central and Southern Africa, West Africa and UK/Mediterranean. The Mission of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association is to promote the veterinary profession within the Commonwealth by encouraging the highest professional standards of education, ethics and service in order to advance animal health, productivity and welfare so as to improve the quality of life of all its peoples.

Doggone Safe
Doggone Safe is a non-profit organization dedicated to dog bite prevention through education, and dog bite victim support (through the Courtney Trempe Memorial Fund for Dog Bite Victim Support). Doggone Safe has members and partners throughout North America and overseas. Doggone Safe provides educational resources to the public through its website, community events, consumer shows and seminar programs. Doggone Safe is widely regarded as the premier provider of dog bite prevention information that focuses on empowerment through knowledge and understanding of dog body language and how to act safely around dogs. Education of children is a primary focus for Doggone Safe and it facilitates this through the Be a Tree seminar program for school age children and through the production and dissemination of educational materials.

Doggone Safe

The Dogstar Foundation
The Dogstar Foundation is a UK founded Non-Profit working in Sri Lanka with the Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department of the University of Peradeniya. Providing Sterilisation and vaccination clinics for companion & community (stray) animals via a series of mobile and outreach clinics targeted to communities with no access or funding for Veterinary care.

The Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations

Federation of Veterinarians of Europe
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) is an umbrella organisation of veterinarinary organisations from 36 European countries. FVE aims to unite the European veterinary profession for the benefit of animal health, animal welfare and public health, working through the "One Health" concept. FVE also represent 4 vibrant sections, each of which representing key groups within our profession: Practitioners (UEVP), Hygienists (UEVP), Veterinary State Officers (EASVO) and veterinarians in Education, Research and Industry (EVERI).

Foundation for Human Rabies Education and Eradication
The Foundation for Human Rabies Education and Eradication (FHREE) established in 1998, is a private foundation. Its primary goal is to fund projects facilitating the diffusion of information about rabies, and rabies prevention in rural areas. It is targeting all paramedical professionals, the population at large and the children in particular. Funding is provided directly to local public Health or charitable entities, for the production of posters, pamphlets, brochures and comic books for children. Because it believes that native professionals know best how to approach educational issues in their own country, the Foundation provides only financial support for projects that are entirely conceived locally and implemented locally.

Humane Society Youth
Humane Society Youth, a division of The Humane Society of the United States, educates young people about kindness and respect for all animals and their natural habitats, activates youth in efforts to protect animals, and provides teaching materials and professional development to teachers and humane educators. In addition, Humane Society Youth is the publisher of KIND News, an award-winning classroom newspaper, reaching approximately one million students each month. Online resources are available for both kids and teens.

National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (US)
The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) helps direct and develop uniform public health procedures involving zoonotic disease in the United States and its territories.

One Health Initiative
One Health is the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals, plants and our environment. For more information, please visit http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/.

A Rabies Free World
A Rabies Free World is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 to help reduce rabies suffering. RFW advocates education, support for research and targeted intervention. Information for school children about rabies is available at www.rabiesfree.org. RFW supports the Starfish Palliative Care Program for rabies patients and 'click2vaccinate' which provides rabies vaccines for dogs in the Philippines. RFW is proud to partner with the Alliance for Rabies Control in support of World Rabies Day!

Rabies in Asia Conference Foundation
The Rabies in Asia Foundation is an association of professionals, scientists, administrators, academicians, and others dedicated towards elimination of rabies in countries of Asia.

Student American Veterinary Medical Association
The Student American Veterinary Medical Association is coordinating World Rabies Day events as part of their “One Health Challenge Series.” As of May 2008, there are 24 of the 28 US Colleges of Veterinary Medicine participating in the events. The events are a wide variety of activities including: runs, dog walks, health fairs, seminars, and student outreach. All of the events are aimed at raising money for rabies prevention and control projects globally through the Alliance for Rabies Control. For more information, or to get involved, please contact !Please, turn on JavaScript or go to the contact us page! at or !Please, turn on JavaScript or go to the contact us page!.

U.S. Army Veterinary Corps
The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps is an integral part of the Army Medical Department and as such our mission is to protect Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines and support the national Military Strategy. We conduct this mission in over 83 countries by providing veterinary public health capabilities, veterinary medical and surgical care, food safety and defense, biomedical research and development, and to support host nation countries to improve animal health and agriculture infrastructure.

Veterinarians Without Borders - Canada
VWB-VSF Canada is a charitable, humanitarian organization whose mission is to work with those in need to foster the health of animals, people, and the environments that sustain us. VWB-VSF Canada engages in activities around the world related to the health of farm animals (aquaculture and land-based), urban domestic animals, and wildlife, as well as public and ecosystem health.

Veterinarians Without Borders - Germany
VSF Germany is a non-governmental, non-profit making organisation, engaged in the field of veterinary relief and development work. VSF Germany's work focuses on those people whose livelihoods depend heavily on livestock. It is our goal to improve their living conditions. For them, healthy animals do not only have a high cultural value but simply mean food security and income generation. VSF Germany works in about 20 projects in Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Somalia. In Germany, the association has more than 230 members and focuses on informing the German public about the situation of pastoralists in developing countries.

Washington State University School for Global Animal Health
The School for Global Animal Health will provide innovative solutions to global infectious disease challenges through research, education, global outreach, and application of disease control at the animal-human interface. Also the school will advance science, people, and policy to discover novel approaches for disease intervention and delivery of preventive health care for animals and humans.

World Health Organization Collaborating Centres for Rabies Research
Currently there are 11 WHO collaborating centres for rabies research. The WHO collaborating centres are institutions such as research institutes, parts of universities or academies, which are designated by the Director-General to carry out activities in support of the Organization's programmes. Currently there are over 900 WHO collaborating centres in 99 Member States working with WHO on areas such as nursing, occupational health, communicable diseases, nutrition, mental health, chronic diseases and health technologies.

World Small Animal Veterinary Association
WSAVA is an global organization made up of veterinary organizations from all over the world, which are concerned with small companion animals. WSAVA is dedicated to the continuing development of companion animal care in order to advance the quality and availability of small animal medicine and surgery around the world. The WSAVA Mission is to foster exchange of scientific information between individual veterinarians and veterinary organizations around the globe.

World Society for the Protection of Animals
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is the world’s largest network for animal welfare. It brings together over 600 Member Societies and a whole community of individuals around the world who care about animal welfare. WSPA’s mission is to unite an informed, global animal welfare movement that helps and protects animals and creates a climate for change, leading to enforced legislation that transforms animals’ lives.

The World Rabies Day is a community of people who want to prevent people from dying from rabies. Please get in touch to partner with us!