World Rabies Day 2025 Theme – Various Aspects of Rabies Disease and Rabies in Pakistan
World Rabies Day 2025 is being celebrated with a theme to call all stakeholders to take action now against rabies. This day is celebrated every year on September 28 which started in 2007. In 2025, this day has taken more importance. This year, it is the first time in its 19-year history, that the annual theme does not include the word “rabies.” This Theme of World Rabies Day 2025, “Act now: You, Me, Community,” shows that we are shifting from awareness to action with a long-term commitment. Symptoms of Rabies in animals and humans, prevention and control, the status of rabies in Pakistan, and other aspects of rabies disease are also discussed here.
Theme of World Rabies Day 2025
The Theme of World Rabies Day 2025 is Act now: You, Me, Community. It is a strong call to Act Now. It stresses the urgency for individuals, organizations, and governments to take action to eradicate rabies disease. This theme promotes the action on three levels:
You — Individual Action
Everyone has the potential and power to make a difference. We can play our role through vaccination of animals and prevention of dog bite cases. Self education and education of others about rabies transmission and its prevention are important steps toward wiping out this deadly disease.
Me — Leadership and Advocacy
Professionals, veterinarians, public health workers, and community leaders should set good examples for the control and eradication of this disease. We can train health workers, medical professionals, vets, and para vets. We can also organize awareness campaigns in schools and communities. Moreover, we can go for the advocacy for strong rabies control policies to ensure sustainable progress.
Community, Working Together
Real success happens when communities come together. We can work together for mass dog vaccination campaigns, public awareness, and policy implementation. Families, schools, NGOs, and governments can collaborate to eliminate rabies disease once and for all.
Understanding Rabies Disease
Rabies Disease affects the central nervous system of the body. This disease spreads through the saliva of infected animals. Dog bite is the most common cause of the spread of this disease. Although this disease is 100% preventable, it still causes thousands of deaths worldwide each year. Children are the majority of victims of this disease.
Symptoms of Rabies in Humans
In Humans, the following symptoms of rabies are characterized:
- Early stage is marked by fever, headache, and weakness.
- Pain or tingling in the area of the bite.
- Freaking out, disorientation, and panic.
- Swallowing problems and water phobia (hydrophobia).
- Hallucinations, paralysis and later even death.
Rabies Disease is practically incurable once the symptoms begin, and thus prevention remains the only possible way to address this disease.
Symptoms of Rabies in Animals
The symptoms of rabies in animals, including dogs and cats depend on the stage of the disease. In dogs and other animals, this disease appears as a neurological disease which has two main forms. In the beginning, there is a change in behavior and progresses to paralysis. A rabid dog may suddenly become aggressive, restless, and irritable. On the other hand, a normally active dog may become unusually timid, withdrawn, or lethargic.
In the furious form, dog is aggressive and excited and exhibits agitated behavior. On the other hand, in the dumb form or paralytic form, which is more common in dogs, involves weakness and paralysis.
A key symptom, often mistaken, is a characteristic of difficulty swallowing. This situation combines with excessive salivation and foaming at the mouth. Other Symptoms of Rabies in animals include staggering, seizures, and a change in vocalizations, such as a hoarse or abnormal sounding bark.
In wild animals, behavioral changes are also the most reliable indicator. For example animal with normal nocturnal behavior may appear during day. Animal may lose its fear of humans. Ultimately, the disease progresses to full-body paralysis, coma, and death.
Rabies Disease Prevention and Control
The most cost-effective way of controlling this disease is through mass dog vaccination because over 99% of human rabies cases are caused by the dog. Achieving a rabies-free world cannot be done without the following steps:
- Dogs and Cats (Pets and Stray Animals) Vaccination.
- Public Awareness Campaigns
- Individuals should be educated on how to prevent rabies, how to handle the bites, and the need to vaccinate.
- Pre-Exposure and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, placing vaccinations in the people in danger and treatment of the consequences of animal bites right after they are inflicted.
- Policy Support, governments and organizations must fund and sponsor rabies control activities.
Through the Zero by 30, the WHO, OIE, FAO and GARC are guiding the world towards the elimination of humans deaths caused by dogs by the year 2030. World Rabies Day is a valuable avenue to accelerate this.
Importance of World Rabies Day
World Rabies Day is not only about creating awareness but it is an action movement. The day gives communities all over the world an opportunity to list their events, stories of success, and motivate collective action. Every little step taken by vaccination campaigns to educational campaigns in schools helps the world move forward. This is also the theme of World Rabies Day 2025.
Status of Rabies in Pakistan
One of the most undervalued and fatal public health problems in Pakistan is Rabies. The number of individuals dying of this disease annually is estimated to be 2,000-5,000. This figure could be high, with underreporting and lack of a national surveillance system indicating a lesser figure. Among the most vulnerable are the children and the majority of them die after being bitten by dogs.
The primary cause of the problem in Pakistan is low compliance with dog vaccination. Stray dogs still represent the primary cause of human rabies cases and mass vaccination or population control is still minimal. Even though thousands of cases of dog bites are registered annually, little access to rabies vaccines is available, particularly in rural locations.
With these hurdles, there has been some development in Pakistan. Programs such as the Sindh Rabies Control Program and Rabies Free Karachi have brought order in the management of these problems. These efforts were oriented towards TNVR Programs. In addition, Dog Birth Control Policy in Punjab and TNVR activities are as well one of the initiatives.
The Theme of World Rabies Day 2025, Act Now
The message of the Theme of World Rabies Day 2025 is clear and dire this year: Act Now. It does not matter whether you are a person who is immunizing his/her pet, a teacher who educates pupils, or a policy-maker who promotes programs on the country level. The Theme of World Rabies Day 2025 emphasizes that only by uniting as individuals, leaders and communities, we can eradicate rabies.
At World Rabies Day, on September 28, 2025, we can make a difference. Keep pets safe, inoculate humans, raise awareness and assist in eradication. By working together, we will be able to make the future rabies-free.
