South Sudan celebrated the 2023 World Rabies Day under the theme "All For One, One Health For All" to eliminate Rabies by 2030, as per the 2021-2025 South Sudan Health Sector Strategic Plan. The celebration was held in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, where over 5000 people, including dog owners, participated.

H.E. Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, Vice President of Services Cluster, officiated the event and pointed out the dangers posed by Rabies to South Sudan's communities. The government is committed to working with partners, communities, and stakeholders to ensure the effective prevention and treatment of Rabies, among other diseases.

“Exposure to rabies resulting from dog bites has significantly increased in the country, with 185 dog bite cases being reported since January 2023,” H.E. Akol recounted. “To tackle the increasing dog bite cases, it should be our collective responsibility to protect yourselves and our community from Rabies by ensuring that we seek early sick treatment and strengthen preventive measures.”

Dr Fabian Ndenzako, the WHO South Sudan Representative a.i., praised the establishment of the One Health Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism and high-level political commitment that has shaped efforts towards fighting Rabies.

“Conducting this year's commemoration in Aweil shows the country's resolve to decentralize the Multisectoral Coordination Mechanism using the One Health Approach to improve health outcomes for humans and animals in South Sudan through improved surveillance, laboratory systems, and reliable data on the real burden of rabies in the country,” said Dr Ndenzako. South Sudan's efforts towards eliminating Rabies by 2030 and its commitment to working with partners, communities, and stakeholders to ensure effective prevention and treatment of Rabies is inspiring.

The country's collective responsibility to protect its communities from Rabies by seeking early treatment when sick and strengthening preventive measures are commendable. The WHO's prepositioning of human rabies vaccines annually in the ten states and three administrative areas to be used as post-exposure prophylaxis for those bitten by dogs and other animals is a step towards preventing rabies deaths in South Sudan.

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic viral disease that occurs in more than 150 countries and territories globally.  Although effective human vaccines and immunoglobulins exist for rabies, they are not readily available or accessible to those in need.

WHO has developed an unparalleled course that provides participants with an in-depth understanding of the biology and epidemiology of Rabies. The learning package is a comprehensive offering of seven modules featuring downloadable video lectures by globally recognized experts and professionals with extensive experience confronting this Neglected Zoonotic Disease.

Through this course, participants will gain an unshakeable foundation of knowledge on Rabies, equipping them with the necessary tools to undertake cutting-edge research or tackle practical problems in the field.

WHO is committed to working with all government ministries, development partners, donors, and other stakeholders to have the most significant impact on improving the health of people, animals, and our shared environment.