Rabies is still one of the most dangerous viral infectious diseases in much of the world and is fatal without exception. Around 99 % of all known rabies cases are due to the bite of an infected dog. Therefore, vaccinating dogs is one of the most effective measures to protect animals and humans equally from rabies.

• 59,000 people die of rabies every year worldwide.
• 40 % of death toll is children.
• Rabies is 99 % transmitted through dog bites.
• Rabies are 100 % preventable due to vaccination.

Rabies is a viral disease transmitted by the saliva of infected animals. Dog bites account for 99 % of all cases. Although the disease is 100 % preventable due to vaccination, around 59,000 people around the world still die of rabies every year. Most fatalities in humans occur in Africa and Asia.

"Rabies are still a serious illness in our project areas in East Africa. According to a study, an unbelievable 1.499 humane rabies cases in Tanzania are estimated to occur annually," says Prof. Dagmar Schoder, president of Veterinarians without Borders Austria (VSF). At the same time, awareness among the population is very low. VSF Austria focuses on dogs in pastoral areas in Tanzania and Kenya. The medical care of humans and animals is particularly poor there.

The current rabies vaccination project of VSF Austria is supported with vaccine donations from Boehringer Ingelheim.