Exceptional mobilization of Tunisian veterinarians: Together to eradicate rabies in 2025 🐾

The World Rabies Day (WRD), celebrated each year on September 28, is an opportunity to recall the importance of prevention against this deadly but preventative disease. Rabies affects all mammals, including humans, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. However, prevention is simple: vaccination of domestic animals, awareness-raising and rapid treatment after bite.

In Tunisia, the year 2025 was marked by an exceptional mobilization of veterinarians, who traveled the country to vaccinate domestic animals free of charge and thus protect the population.

📊 Key figures and impact of the campaign 2025

• National objective: Vaccinate 80% of the Tunisian dog population in order to limit the spread of the virus.
• Animals vaccinated: More than 18,000 animals have been vaccinated in the governorate of Siliana, including dogs, cats, cows and donkeys.
• Veterinary teams mobilized: More than 300 veterinary teams have been deployed across the 24 governorates, ranging from urban to rural areas.
• Free vaccination day: On October 11, 2025, veterinarians traveled to many localities to vaccinate animals free of charge and raise awareness among owners.

These figures not only show the extent of action, but also the dedication of Tunisian veterinarians, ready to devote their time and expertise for the public good.

🐶 Testimonies and anecdotes

In Gabès, thanks to the mobilization of veterinarians and collaboration with local authorities, the health situation has considerably improved: only one case of infected animal was recorded in 2025, compared to several in previous years.

In the governorate of Ben Arous, the campaign covered several delegations, ensuring maximum territorial coverage. Veterinarians worked tirelessly, going from house to house and raising awareness among owners of the need to vaccinate their animals.

These testimonies show that proximity with the population and direct communication are essential to achieve vaccination and prevention objectives.

🧬 Impact on health public

Vaccination and awareness have had a tangible impact:

• The rate of dogs infected with rabies increased from 45% the previous year to around 30% in 2025.
• The number of human deathsrelated to rabies has significantly decreased thanks to rapid access to care and prevention.

These results demonstrate that the fight against rabies is effective when prevention and education are combined. Regular vaccination, animal surveillance and public awareness are the keys to sustainably reducing the risk.

💡 Importance of prevention and education

Rabies prevention is not limited to vaccination. Veterinarians also play an educational role:

• Inform owners on the behavior to adopt towards animals, in particular avoiding any contact with stray or aggressive animals.
• Explain the importance of the vaccination record, and encourage them to keep it up to date.
• Raise awareness the first actionsin the event of a bite or scratch to reduce the risk of contamination.

For their part, citizens are active in their health and that of their animals. By participating in campaigns, vaccinating their animals and respecting safety instructions, they actively contribute to eradicating rabies.

🏆 Veterinarians: heroes on the ground

The commitment of Tunisian veterinarians is exemplary :

• They travel hundreds of kilometers to reach isolated rural areas.
• They offer their expertise and their time for free, often in difficult conditions.
• They participate in awareness, education and prevention, in addition to vaccination.

This mobilization shows that animal health and human health are inseparable, and that collective action can be a game-changer in the face of a preventable disease.

🌍 Challenges and perspectives

Despite progress, several challenges remain:

1. Access to remote areas: certain regions remain difficult to access, which complicates the vaccination of all animals.
2. Stray animal population: controlling the stray dog population remains a major challenge for prevention.
3. Continuous awareness raising: the population must remain informed about the risks and good practices practices.

For the future, Tunisian veterinarians and health authorities are aiming for zero human deaths due to rabies by 2030, by combining vaccination, education, health monitoring and citizen mobilization.

✅ Together, let's say #EndRabiesNow

Rabies is preventative and eradicable. By combining the efforts of veterinarians, citizen engagement and public policies, Tunisia can achieve this objective. Every action counts: vaccinate your pet, raise awareness among those around you and report any incident.

World Rabies Day 2025 reminds that prevention begins with all of us and that, thanks to collective commitment, public health can be effectively protected.

#WRD2025 #EndRabiesNow #TunisieVet #AnimalHealth #Prevention #TunisianVeterinarians