KOTA SAMARAHAN: Vaccination alone is not enough to eliminate rabies deaths, and community knowledge must come first.
Senior Technical and Key Account Manager for Companion Animals at Boehringer Ingelheim Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, Dr Eddie Tan said the ‘Stop Rabies Carnival 2026’ falls under the company’s Sustainable Development for Generations (SD4G) framework, supporting its MORE HEALTH vision to protect human and animal health together through the One Health approach.
“Stop Rabies starts with knowledge and ends with vaccination,” he said, adding that vaccination was essential but only one part of the solution.
“Communities needed to recognise rabies risk, understand transmission, and know what to do after a bite or scratch, alongside embracing responsible pet ownership,” he said when met by the reporters on the sidelines of the programme today.
On why the programme places strong emphasis on children and young people through initiatives like the ‘Rabies Hero Ambassador’ Programme, Tan said youth were powerful advocates who could carry education back into their schools and families, supporting Sarawak’s target of zero human rabies deaths by 2030.
He said the ‘Train-the-Trainer’ model was designed to have a lasting effect, training students and teachers to independently continue rabies education activities in their schools long after the formal programme ends, creating a multiplier effect within communities.
On the initiative’s progress toward 2030, Tan acknowledged sporadic cases still occurred but said participation had grown steadily over the years, expressing confidence the target remained achievable with two years remaining.
He also stressed the role of veterinarians as trusted educators and frontline advocates for responsible pet ownership, calling them central to the ‘One Health’ approach and to Stop Rabies’ continuing efforts.
