Kenya takes lead in keeping deadly rabies at bay in Africa

Dog after vaccination in Makueni County recently. (Photo:Sarah Cleveland)

As the world marked this year’s World Rabies Day, celebrated on September 28, every year, Kenya launched her “Strategy for the Elimination of Human Rabies by 2030”, effectively making her the first African country to embark on a journey to realising Louis Pasteur’s (famous for inventing vaccines against rabies and anthrax, and milk preservation through pasteurisation) 129 year-old vision of ridding the world of the deadly rabies disease.

Kenya’s strategy for eliminating rabies is simple: vaccinate at least 70 per cent of the dog population annually - for at least three consecutive years, and the disease will be eliminated not only in dogs, but also in humans and wildlife.