On the occasion of World Rabies Day 2025, the Government of Rwanda joins other WHO member states in commemorating this important day under the theme “Act Now: You, Me, Community.” This theme calls on everyone to take both individual and collective action to stop the spread of dog-mediated rabies.
Welfare for Animals Guild Rwanda (WAG-Rwanda), in partnership with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, the World Health Organization, and other local stakeholders, will mark this event by raising awareness on rabies prevention and control strategies among community members and the media.
Recognizing the critical role of rabies prevention and control campaigns, this year, a full week—Monday, September 29th to Sunday, October 4th, 2025—has been dedicated to rabies awareness and control activities (World Rabies Week, WRW). The shift in dates is due to the prestigious 2025 UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Road World Championships taking place in Kigali from 21st to 28th September 2025.
The celebration of WRW will feature a series of activities promoting joint action and collaboration among key stakeholders in rabies prevention and control. The main event will be a One Day training for journalists and social media influencers, together with staff from the Rwanda Health Communication Centre, staff from the NTDs & OPDs Unit, representatives from Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), Rwanda National Police (RNP), the Ministry of Education, and the Public Relations Officer from the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). This training will take place on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 and will focus on rabies prevention and control, humane dog population management, and other related topics.