Formation of the Asian Rabies Control Network (ARACON): A common approach towards a global good

Abstract

The drive towards the worldwide elimination of dog-mediated human rabies by 2030 is the first step towards the ultimate goal of dog rabies elimination - as dogs account for more than 99% of human rabies cases globally - and has gained considerable momentum since this resolution was taken at a global meeting in Geneva in December 2015. For dog rabies-endemic countries and regions, dedicated regional networks may offer unique opportunities to take advantage of this global momentum. Towards this goal, the Pan-African Rabies Control Network (PARACON) was created in 2015, and the past year has seen the formation of the Asian Rabies Control Network (ARACON). ARACON provides opportunities for member countries to share lessons learnt and challenges faced, while also introducing them to programmatic support tools such as the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE) assessment and the Rabies Epidemiological Bulletin (REB). During the inaugural ARACON meeting, member countries evaluated their progress and developed country-specific Practical Workplans based on their SARE outcomes. The results from the national-level SARE assessments were considered at the regional level and, after discussion among countries, consensual agreement was reached that the target date of regional freedom from dog-mediated human rabies by 2020 was not feasible, and a new regional target of 2030 was set. With this new regional target, ongoing support will continue to be provided to countries through regional structures such as ARACON. However, the responsibility remains with the countries to use the available tools and resources to progress towards the new regional goal of dog-mediated human rabies elimination by 2030.

Rabies Prophylactic and Treatment Options: An In Vitro Study of siRNA- and Aptamer-Based Therapeutics

“…In the last few years, significant strides have been made with regard to rabies control and elimination through improved awareness and disease prioritization; the development and implementation of novel tools [ 2 , 54 , 55 ]; the formation of standardized, One Health, rabies-specific networks [ 56 , 57 ]; and a global strategic plan developed by the United Against Rabies collaboration [ 1 ]. Despite recent improvements to recommendations for human rabies prophylaxis and treatment, there remain many challenges relating to adequate PEP delivery, including disease awareness in communities, dissemination of biologics to these communities, and the high cost of rabies PEP—with special mention of RIG [ 4 , 7 ].…”

Human rabies: prospects for elimination

“…Sustained and comprehensive vaccination campaigns are required for progress toward elimination [46], and gaps in coverage can support persistence of the virus [47]. Likewise, inadequate cross border control efforts pose significant challenges in securing health gains, especially when neighboring countries have weak control programs [48][49][50].…”

“…A few articles report countries' self-assessments using the Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE) tool [126], for example, Haiti, Kenya, and Liberia have used their SARE score for effective advocacy [117,127]. Despite data limitations, results from these assessments indicate most countries in Africa are in early stages of SARE, whereas some countries in Asia are further progressed [49,126,128]. Two studies demonstrated the feasibility of engaging multiple countries using electronic data collection tools and showed that their use increased case reporting rates [26,129].…”

A Regional Analysis of the Progress of Current Dog-Mediated Rabies Control and Prevention

“…To effectively monitor the progress towards the final goal of Zero by 30, it is essential to assess the available data periodically at the global level. Regional collaborative anti-rabies networks have been established in recent years, namely the Asian Rabies Control Network (ARACON); the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa Rabies Control Network (MERACON); and the Pan-African Rabies Control Network (PARACON) [ 23 , 24 ]. As of June 2021, 88 rabies-endemic countries belong to the networks and periodically provide the latest data related to rabies control at the GARC website ( accessed on 23 June 2021).…”