Challenges and opportunities for the next miles in global rabies control

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has led animal rabies control efforts since 1924 and is responsible for several of the most impactful advances in rabies diagnostics, surveillance and animal vaccination of the 20th and 21st centuries. Primarily advancing rabies control through its formalised country partnerships, WOAH is responsible for the validation and recognition of official rabies tests and has developed the largest rabies vaccine bank in use in Africa and Asia. WOAH has also fostered technical collaborations and modern-day guidance through the formation of the Rabies Laboratory Network. While rabies is among the deadliest of all zoonotic pathogens, future efforts to control and eliminate the virus hinge on improvements in coordination among partners, financial commitments from international organisations and governments, and advances in diagnostic and vaccination methods. WOAH has a long-standing history of driving these changes and is positioned to lead many new advances in the coming years.