- Dr Nguyen Thu Thuy, Vice Director of DAH (I suppose DAH = Dept of Animal Health)
- Dr Vo Hai Son, Vice Director of Preventive Medicine Department;
- Prof Tran Nhu Duong, Vice Director of NIHE
- Dr Pawin, Technical Officer, FAO
- Distinguished representatives from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture & Environment,
- Colleagues and friends from the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) ,from development partners,
- Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning,
It is both an honor and a privilege to be with you here in Hanoi on this important occasion – World Rabies Day 2025.
I bring warm greetings from the World Health Organization and share my deep appreciation for your commitment to ending one of the oldest, yet still deadliest, zoonotic diseases known to humanity.
The World Rabies Day theme for 2025 is "Act Now: You, Me, Community". This theme emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility, community collaboration, and collective action to eliminate rabies.
Rabies is not just a infectious disease issue – it is also development issue, a veterinary issue, an environmental issue, and above all, a human issue. It is a disease that thrives in the gaps between sectors and it is in those very gaps that we must build bridges.
Every year, globally close to 60,000 people die of rabies. Here in Vietnam rabies claims the lives of between 65 and 90 people each year, most of them children, and most of them in rural, underserved communities. These are not just numbers – they are lives lost to a disease that is 100% preventable.
Rabies is a preventable tragedy. We know what and how to tackle this disease.
Countries like Vietnam have shown leadership and achieved successes in integrating rabies control into broader public health and veterinary strategies. In the early 2000s, Vietnam embarked on a dog vaccination campaign, which brought down rabies deaths in humans to 34 in 2003.
But we still face challenges – particularly in ensuring equitable access to post-exposure prophylaxis, strengthening animal vaccination campaigns – especially for stray dogs, and improving surveillance and reporting.
WHO, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has committed to the “Zero by 30” global strategic plan – to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030 centred around three main pillars:
- Dog vaccination
- Prevent human exposure through awareness & education
- Accessible and affordable PEP
This is an ambitious goal, but it is achievable. We have the tools. We have the knowledge. What we need now is sustained political will, adequate financing, and stronger collaboration across sectors.
Vietnam has the opportunity to become a regional leader in applying the One Health approach – bringing together human health, animal health, and environmental sectors.
This integrated model is not just theory – it is the most effective way to tackle rabies at its main source in Viet Nam: in dogs – especially stray dogs.
A WHO-supported survey in two southern provinces in 2024 through early 2025 provided insights about challenges in dog management and vaccination by local authorities. This leads to an ever-increasing population of stray dogs and the risk of transmission of rabies.
By vaccinating at least 70% of the dog population, we can break the transmission cycle. By educating communities, especially children, we can prevent bites. And by ensuring timely access to vaccines and immunoglobulin, we can save lives.
Let us not forget that rabies disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable. Access to life-saving treatment should not depend on where you live or how much you earn.
WHO is working with partners to improve affordability and availability of rabies post exposure prophylaxis (including vaccines), and to support countries in building resilient health systems that leave no one behind.
Earlier this year, WHO donated 9,000 doses of human rabies vaccine to Phu Tho and Tuyen Quang provinces for post-exposure prophylaxis targeting poor communities including ethnic minority groups.
Beyond post-exposure prophylaxis, the donation was meant to call attention to the rabies challenge including inequalities in accessing this life-saving intervention.
Today, I call on all of us – central and local governments, multilaterals, donors, civil society, academia, and communities – to:
- Invest in national rabies elimination strategies
- Strengthen intersectoral coordination through One Health platforms
- Scale up dog vaccination and community engagement
- Ensure universal access to post-exposure prophylaxis
- Monitor progress and share data transparently
Colleagues, the road to zero rabies deaths is not easy, but it is clear. With unity, determination, and compassion, we can consign rabies to the history books – where it belongs.
Let us make World Rabies Day 2025 not just a moment of reflection, but a catalyst for action.
Together, let us take action, and together let us achieve Zero by 30.
Thank you. Xin cam on!