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22 Jul 2021
#Rabies360Challenge – raise awareness with us and help eliminate rabies!
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MARTA NOWAK
Marketing Lead, International Veterinary Health
Join the #Rabies360Challenge this September to raise awareness of rabies and help eliminate this terrible disease by 2030!
Rabies – why is elimination so important?
Rabies is one of the most lethal viruses on earth, with almost 60,000 people dying of this terrible disease every year. Almost half of these deaths are children, mostly in Africa and Asia. That’s 1 person dying every 9 minutes, mainly in poor and vulnerable populations living in remote locations.
This deadly disease is transmitted in saliva and almost 100% of deaths in humans are due to transmission from dogs when people are bitten. The disease is 100% fatal once symptoms occur. As such rabies has one of the highest mortality rates of any disease.
This is why rabies elimination is so important.
Why raise awareness about rabies?
Raising awareness about this neglected disease is vital because every one of those tens of thousands of deaths every year is completely unnecessary. That’s because it is a vaccine-preventable disease.
By vaccinating dogs, we prevent the spread of rabies to people. Time and again we have shown that once 70% of dog populations are protected through vaccination, we stop human deaths, and awareness is key. By raising awareness of this disease, dog behaviour, bite prevention and vaccination we can make a difference. The more people are aware and talk about rabies, the more action can be taken to stop it.
Taking action – #Rabies360Challenge
Taking place throughout September in the run up to World Rabies Day (September 28th), #Rabies360Challenge aims to improve awareness of rabies. This challenge began in 2020 as part of MSD Animal Health’s drive towards the global goal of achieving zero human dog-mediated rabies deaths by 2030. Together, we can inspire others to get involved!
This September #Rabies360Challenge is back! Participation stimulates curiosity and encourages action. Two ingredients necessary for any initiative are education and discussion – this is why #Rabies360Challenge invites you to join!
Participation is simple!
1. Choose something you enjoy. It could be walking, cycling, painting, reading, meditation, or something else entirely. YOU NAME IT!
2. In September do what you enjoy, or an aspect of what you enjoy, 360 times! For example, if you like painting, how about painting for 360 minutes. It’s all entirely up to you.
3. Share your plans and progress on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn using the hashtag #Rabies360Challenge – post photos or videos for all to see!
4. Inspire and be inspired by searching the hashtag #Rabies360Challenge and seeing what others are doing to help raise awareness. Be sure to follow emergence on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay updated with the challenge!
5. Use our free #Rabies360Challenge graphics to spread the news on your social channels! You can easily access the graphics in our Knowledge Hub, available in various formats for Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Stories!
What will your challenge be?
Your challenge. Our fight. Eliminating rabies together.
To visit the #Rabies360Challenge event page, click here.
Participation is entirely voluntary and at the participants own risk. MSD Animal health accepts no liability. Your participation may result in your #Rabies360Challenge posts, including photos and videos, being shared through emergence channels (website and social media).
PHOTO CREDITS: CARL SALTER
MARTA NOWAK
Marketing Lead, International Veterinary Health