News outlets report on a new global framework to eliminate rabies launched Thursday by the WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Global Alliance for the Control of Rabies (GARC).

CIDRAP News: Groups unveil plan to rid rabies, target dog vaccination
“Global animal and human health groups [Thursday] unveiled a framework for eliminating rabies in humans by 2030, calling for donor support for the efforts and more visibility for a disease that kills tens of thousands each year, a large portion of them children…” (Schnirring, 12/10).

Motherboard: There’s a Rabies Vaccine But 59,000 People Still Die From It Every Year
“…During a conference this week, the WHO rallied researchers and NGOs to renew efforts in battling the disease, which is almost always fatal and causes victims to suffer cerebral dysfunction and delirium as they die. More than 95 percent of rabies deaths occur in Africa and Asia, with 99 percent caused by dog bites, which is why the WHO and other groups want to focus efforts on vaccinating dogs…” (Rogers, 12/10).

U.N. News Centre: ‘We can consign rabies to the history books’ with new plan to eliminate virus — U.N. health agency
“…The framework … calls for three key actions — making human vaccines and antibodies affordable, ensuring people who get bitten receive prompt treatment, and mass dog vaccinations to tackle the viral disease at its source…” (12/10).

VOA News: WHO Launches Global Campaign to Eliminate Rabies
“…Mass vaccination campaigns also are more cost-effective. WHO estimates a dog vaccine costs less than one dollar, whereas the cost of treating people who are bitten is between $40 and $50. This represents, on average, 40 days of wages in some affected countries in Africa and Asia…” (Schlein, 12/10).