MSD Animal Health Reaffirms its Commitment to Eliminating Rabies with its 6 Millionth Vaccine Donation Through the Afya Program
RAHWAY, N.J., August 29, 2024 – MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), today announced it has donated more than six million NOBIVAC® rabies vaccines through the Company’s Afya Program, since it was founded.
“Many communities where rabies outbreaks persist, have limited access to resources and vaccines,” said Ingrid Deuzeman, director Global Companion Animal marketing, MSD Animal Health. “That’s why through its global non-profit Afya Program, MSD Animal Health continues to donate NOBIVAC® rabies vaccine for use in canine vaccination campaigns in rabies-endemic communities.”
The global philanthropic program is committed to helping achieve the World Health Organization’s goal of zero dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030. In partnership with Mission Rabies and Rabies Free Africa, MSD Animal Health is celebrating this milestone as well as a more than 25-year commitment to eliminate rabies and is calling on individuals, organizations, and governments to join hands in the fight against rabies. Rabies could be eliminated by 2030, if governments, charities, industry, vets and pet owners unite in the fight against this deadly disease.
World Rabies Day 2024: A commitment to “breaking boundaries”
The theme for World Rabies Day 2024 is “Breaking Rabies Boundaries.” The theme emphasizes the need to breakthrough and overcome the limitations that are preventing the fight against this deadly disease.
Through a One Health approach, which recognizes that animal health, human health, welfare and sustainability are intertwined, MSD Animal Health prioritizes comprehensive dog vaccination, regular veterinary care, and community-wide awareness are essential to preventing and eliminating rabies. By supporting annual mass vaccination programs for dogs, promoting responsible dog ownership, enhancing surveillance systems, and raising awareness among communities, the One Health approach ensures a comprehensive and integrated strategy to “break through” the limitations that prevent society from eliminating rabies and protecting both human and dog populations.
“Even one death is too many because rabies is 100% vaccine-preventable, and canine mass vaccination initiatives have shown to be the most cost-effective rabies prevention measure” said Alasdair King, executive director, International Veterinary Health, MSD Animal Health. “It really is that simple: by vaccinating dogs we’re also saving human lives.”
About the Afya Program
The Afya Program is a global non-profit initiative supported by MSD Animal Health. For more than 25 years, we have been committed to donating canine rabies vaccines for use in developing regions of the world that so desperately need it. We have dedicated our full support behind the humanitarian efforts of our partners, including Rabies Free Africa and Mission Rabies, and their goal of eliminating canine-mediated rabies. For more information visit: https://www.afya.org/.
About MSD Animal Health
At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of MSD. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, MSD Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. MSD Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. MSD Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.msd-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).
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