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30 years of fighting for a world without rabies

Celebrating the impact of science, partnership and persistance

Milestones and Successes

Over 10,000 human rabies exposures have been prevented

30 years

of commitment

12 million

people educated

8 million

rabies doses donated

ZERO BY 30

Zero by 30 is a global goal set by the United Against Rabies Forum,
dedicated to eliminating human deaths from canine-mediated rabies by the year 2030.

What is Rabies?

Rabies is one of the deadliest known diseases. It is a viral zoonotic disease that causes fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord not only in wild animals but also in domestic animals and humans. The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal usually through a bite or scratch. In up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for human rabies infections.1

Symptoms usually appear between 4 and 8 weeks after contact with an infected animal.
If someone has recently been exposed to rabies, a vaccination can be part of the treatment.

Rabies symptoms include:

  • Anxiety
  • Confusion
  • Partial paralysis
  • Agitation
  • Aggression
  • Hypersalivation
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Fear of water (hydrophobia)
  • Paralysis, coma and death

The importance of rabies vaccination

Fortunately, rabies is 100% preventable through routine vaccination.1 Canine mass-vaccination initiatives are the most cost-effective rabies prevention measures. In fact, in areas where at least 70% of dogs are vaccinated annually the disease can be controlled.2

THE AFYA PROGRAM

The Afya Program is a global non-profit initiative supported by Merck Animal Health. Since 1996, the Afya Program has donated millions of canine rabies vaccines to partners around the world, helping protect animals, families and futures.

We proudly partner with organizations like Rabies Free Africa and Mission Rabies to help the global community. Together we have grown beyond efforts in Tanzania and India to mount rabies elimination campaigns in Malawi, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Thaïland, Kenya, Cambodia and beyond.

Collaborate. Vaccinate.

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TODAY

Sources

  1. The World Health Organization. Rabies. Accessed May 28, 2026. https://www.who.int/health-topics/rabies/
  2. Morters MK, McNabb S, Horton DL, et al. Effective vaccination against rabies in puppies in rabies endemic regions. Vet Rec. 2015;177:150.