The one health approach to rabies: uniting human, animal and environmental health

Rabies remains one of the oldest and deadliest zoonotic diseases known to humankind, causing nearly 100% mortality once clinical signs appear. Despite being entirely preventable through timely vaccination, rabies continues to claim close to sixty thousand human lives every year, with the vast majority of deaths occurring in Asia and Africa following bites from infected dogs. The disease exposes the deep interconnection between human, animal and environmental health, making it a textbook example for the One Health approach. This article discusses how integrating veterinary care, public health surveillance, mass dog vaccination, community education and environmental management can break the transmission cycle of rabies. It highlights the role of veterinarians as frontline responders in mass canine immunisation drives, the importance of inter-sectoral coordination between health, veterinary and wildlife departments, and the value of community awareness in reducing dog bite incidents. The article concludes that eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030, the global target set under the “Zero by 30” initiative, is achievable only through a collaborative One Health framework rather than isolated interventions.