Meeting of programme managers and Regional Technical Advisory Group on dog-mediated human rabies in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 27–28 March 2023, Bangkok, Thailand
Overview
The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (WHO-SEARO) hosted a “Meeting of programme managers and Regional Technical Advisory Group on dog-mediated human rabies in South-East Asia Region” in Bangkok, Thailand, on 27–28 March 2023.
This meeting brought together programme managers responsible for addressing rabies in the Region as well as the Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) focused on dog-mediated human rabies.
The meeting commenced with country presentations providing updates on their rabies situation and progress on controlling the disease. These presentations set the stage for extensive discussions, where the participants exchanged experiences, identified innovative practices and highlighted research gaps to expedite elimination of dog-mediated human rabies.
The topics covered during the meeting included the challenges and lessons learnt with regard to rabies surveillance; laboratory diagnostics; reporting mechanisms; access to quality-assured biologicals; health-care system support; public awareness; community engagement; and One Health collaboration to drive rabies elimination.
The meeting resulted in actionable recommendations, with designated responsibilities, to guide future efforts on tackling dog-mediated human rabies in the Region to reach the global goal of zero human dog-transmitted rabies deaths by 2030.
