Veterinarians, public health professionals, students, teachers, policymakers, and community members have been urged to take urgent steps toward the elimination of rabies.
The call was made during the 2025 World Rabies Day commemoration organized by the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Oyo State Chapter, at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Auditorium, University of Ibadan, on Tuesday, September 30.
The event, themed “Act Now: You, Me and the Community,” brought together experts, scholars, and stakeholders from across Oyo State and Nigeria. World Rabies Day is observed globally on the birthday of Louis Pasteur, the scientist who developed the rabies vaccine, to honour his contribution to science and humanity.
In his keynote address, Prof. T. O. Omobowale, represented by Dr. Olumuyiwa Adejumobi, described rabies as a preventable yet deadly disease that kills about 59,000 people annually, with Africa and Asia carrying the heaviest burden, particularly among children under 15 years.
He stressed that the 2025 theme reflected the urgency of collective action. According to him,
“No single household can defeat rabies alone. It involves government, veterinarians, teachers, NGOs, health workers, and the wider community. We must move from awareness to action, because delay means death.”
He further cautioned against complacency, noting that every unvaccinated dog and every missed opportunity for public enlightenment represented a potential tragedy.
“This should concern every policymaker and health professional. Weak surveillance, inadequate access to human vaccines, and poor community engagement are keeping rabies alive in our society. We cannot continue to wait for government alone, each of us has a role to play.”
Calling for urgency, he concluded with a challenge to the audience:
“The theme ‘Act Now’ is not a slogan; it is a life-saving command. Every delay we make translates into more deaths. The message is simple: vaccinate, educate, and report. That is how we will end rabies.”
Delivering a lecture titled “End Rabies Now,” Dr. Ifeoluwa O. Akanbi of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, explained that rabies is mostly transmitted by dogs and manifests in two forms, furious and paralytic.
She noted that transmission occurs through both bite and non-bite exposures, with incubation periods that vary depending on the case.
Dr. Akanbi stressed that rabies prevention is possible in both animals and humans through vaccination, post-exposure treatment, and the use of biologics such as immune globulins and monoclonal antibodies.
“What we lack is not the science, but the consistent action to apply it,” she said. “To eliminate rabies, we must bridge gaps in awareness, improve access to vaccines, and strengthen surveillance. Rabies does not wait, neither should we.”
Chairman of NVMA Oyo State, Dr. John Famoyin, echoed the call for action by urging veterinarians to step beyond clinic walls and engage in wider community campaigns.
He called for sustained mass dog vaccination drives that go beyond symbolic World Rabies Day activities. According to him,
“The responsibilities before veterinarians are immense. They must not restrict vaccination to clinics but take it into rural communities, while also teaching clients, engaging students, and collaborating with medical doctors and public health workers. If veterinarians and communities do not act, the chain of rabies transmission will not be broken.”
Prof. Babasola Oluseyi Olugasa, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UI, highlighted the importance of the commemoration, noting that the 2025 World Rabies Day coincided with the golden jubilee of the faculty
He reminded the audience that rabies is not a disease of the poor alone, but one that affects all social classes.
“Every year we mark this day to remind ourselves of the need to prevent needless deaths. Our global target for eliminating rabies is 2030, but we are already five years behind schedule. This means we must redouble our efforts,” he said.
The event also gave students the opportunity to share what they learned. Oni Caleb, a secondary school student participant, admitted that the lectures changed his understanding of rabies.
“Before today, I thought rabies was just a dog sickness. Now I know it can kill people too. I’ve learned that vaccinating dogs can save lives, and I will tell my friends and neighbours,” he said.
Another student, Emmanuel Adaeze, reflected on the importance of awareness.
“What stood out to me is that rabies can be prevented. It is sad that many people die because they don’t know or don’t act. I want to be part of spreading the message that prevention is better than cure,” he explained.
The event was attended by veterinarians, paraveterinarians, students, and dignitaries including Dr. Dayo Adejuyigbe, Dr. Ibikunle Faramade, Dr. Olayemi Bukola, Arojinle among other professionals
A documentary on dogs and rabies prevention was also screened, driving home the message that rabies remains a public health threat but one that can be defeated if urgent and collective action is taken.
