World Rabies Day Observed on September 28 2020

Since 2007, the World Rabies Day is observed annually on September 28 to raise awareness about the impact of rabies and how the disease can be prevented. The year 2020 marked the 14th World Rabies Day with theme “End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate” .As per the Global Alliance for Rabies Control(GARC), the theme focuses on the current issues in rabies elimination such as :

• The goal of Zero by 2030
• The importance of dog vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis; and
• The need for a united effort towards achieving the elimination of this transboundary disease.

Rabies and Key Facts about Rabies:

–Rabies is an infectious viral disease that is spread from animals to humans and other animals through animal bites- saliva of infected animals. It causes acute inflammation of the brain and disrupts the mental faculties unless post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is provided.

–Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans.

–It should be noted that 36% of the global deaths due to rabies are in India alone.

Recent Related News:

i.World Lung Cancer Day is observed annually on August 1 to raise awareness about the causes and treatment of lung cancer and its global impact, creating an educational movement to understand the risks of lung cancer and early treatment around the world.

ii.World Biofuel Day is observed annually on August 10 to raise awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels. The day honours the research experiments by Sir Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine) who ran an engine with peanut oil in 1893. In India, the day has been celebrated by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas since 2015.