Prof. Hervé Bourhy
Institut Pasteur in Paris, France – Rabies Hero June 2022
Professor Hervé Bourhy is a true influencer in rabies control who has made a real, tangible difference in the understanding of the disease. He received a Rabies Hero Award for his achievements in driving education, raising the profile of the disease, and building networks of rabies champions around the world. The rabies training that he has established in Africa is a milestone in improving the understanding and control of the disease in the region, engaging and empowering the community to take the necessary steps to eliminate rabies. His role with the World Health Organization (WHO) is key in keeping rabies on the agenda. We are pleased to recognize his wide input into rabies control in the many areas he contributed in.
Hervé, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and clinical biologist in human medicine, currently based at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, has contributed to many WHO consultations on rabies and provided expertise to international bodies, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
As a passionate educator, Hervé has spent many years leading the efforts to improve the training of rabies professionals in West Africa and is currently involved in various teaching activities. This includes coordinating the International Course on Rabies Control and Elimination, in collaboration with WOAH, WHO, the University of Lausanne, the University of Glasgow, and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC).
Working closely with partners across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, such as the Institut Pasteur International Network, Hervé leads research activities with the aim to generate a paradigm shift in the way rabies is monitored, studied, and controlled in line with the One Health concept.
Receiving the award Hervé said: “Although I am deeply honored, there are many others who deserve to be acknowledged. These rabies trainings are a collective work of many people who work with me on the organization, including Dr Jean-Pierre Krahenbuhl, who helped us to build the e-learning website, Dr Perrine Parize who is co-organizing the workshop with me, and Mrs. Malika Jellaoui who plays a critical role in the global organization.”
For more background about rabies training, read these articles: Focus On… Building of a Network of Rabies “Champions” and Partnering towards rabies elimination in West Africa. To learn more about the scientific work of Hervé, visit the Institut Pasteur website.
