World Rabies Day

World Rabies Day is an international public health awareness campaign held annually on September 28, the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur, who developed the first effective rabies vaccine. It was launched on September 8, 2007, through a partnership between the Alliance for Rabies Control and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with co-sponsorship from other international health bodies, and it now carries recognition as a United Nations observance with backing from the World Health Organization and the CDC. The day is coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, which runs an online platform where events are registered and educational materials are shared with participating countries and organizations worldwide. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the impact of rabies on humans and animals, provide practical prevention guidance to at-risk communities, and build political support for stronger rabies control programs, work that is especially urgent since more than ninety nine percent of rabies deaths occur in developing countries, with ninety five percent of those in Africa and Asia.