XXIII Rabies Vaccination Campaign Launches in Honduras with Technical Support from PAHO/WHO and Collaboration of Strategic Partners

Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 12, 2023

The Honduran Ministry of Health has announced the launch of the XXIII Rabies Vaccination Campaign at the national level, under the slogan “Honduras without rabies, a commitment from all”. With the technical support of PAHO/WHO and the collaboration of strategic partners such as Cargill, the Ministry of Health aims to vaccinate 1,276,648 dogs and 99,764 cats free of charge.

Human rabies is a problem with social characteristics that has important implications for the public health of the community. Only through the responsibility and participation of the community itself can its effective prevention and control be achieved. The strategy of the national vaccination campaign represents the option of control and elimination of rabies transmitted by dogs. The annual implementation of these strategies strengthens the culture of prevention of this zoonosis in response to the needs of the population, in addition to the progress achieved in favor of the country’s public health.

Dr. Sandra Ramírez, Vice Minister of Sanitary Regulation mentioned that to date, Honduras has not reported cases of human rabies transmitted by dogs since 2009 and thanked PAHO/WHO for its technical cooperation in maintaining this achievement. The activities carried out by the Secretariat throughout the country have achieved their objective of avoiding cases of rabies in humans transmitted by dogs, as part of their commitment to public health. The anti-rabies protection of dogs through vaccination represents an indirect mechanism to achieve this through intensive and massive actions, such as the national canine anti-rabies vaccination campaign, which has yielded good results and has allowed the reduction of canine and human rabies cases in the country.

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) urges its Member States to maintain their efforts to eliminate the disease. Currently, human cases of dog-transmitted rabies in the Americas are limited to a few areas, and their number is the lowest on record. “We have the technical knowledge and the necessary tools to eliminate human rabies transmitted by dogs,” said Dr. Rosa Elena Mejía, PAHO/WHO Focal Point for Neglected Diseases in Honduras. “This success has been possible thanks to the sustained commitment of governments to rabies elimination efforts, especially mass vaccination of dogs, which is the main tool to eliminate this type of rabies. Education and awareness about the risks of rabies, responsible dog ownership, and the need for appropriate prophylaxis before and after potential exposure to the virus are also part of a comprehensive rabies program. Let’s work together for health equity and support dog vaccination to ensure a healthy future free of zoonotic diseases.”