The meeting aims at snowballing efforts and achieving substantial progress in rabies control in the Asia-Pacific region of the world in the near future. As the key focus is placed on canine rabies the meeting will be an important contribution to the initiative of the United Against Rabies collaboration of the World Health Organization (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) of ending human dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Recognized international and local experts will give insights into state-of-the art intersectoral One Health approaches, standards, available tools and guidelines developed by international organizations and institutions and best-practice examples from the region on how to prevent human rabies by eliminating rabies at its animal source. As such the meeting provides a platform for health and veterinary services, managers of national and local rabies eliminations programs, researchers and other people interested in advancing knowledge of rabies surveillance, prevention and control, to meet each other, to share their experience and also to discuss challenges to overcome. The meeting is considered to be a starting point for a continuous professional exchange on the way to a rabies free Asia-Pacific.

Dr Charung Muangchana Director
National Veterinary Institute, Thailand
Dr Karoon Chanachai
Department of Livestock Development (DLD), Thailand
Dr Thomas Müller
Chair Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Germany
Dr Conrad Freuling
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Germany
Dr Bernadette Abela-Ridder
World Health Organization
Dr Ivana Knezevic
World Health Organization
Dr Gregorio Torres
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
Dr Katinka de Balogh
Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO)
Dr Carmen Jungbäck
International Alliance for Biological Standardization (IABS)
Dr Gowri Yale
Mission Rabies
Prof. Louis Nel
Global Alliance for Rabies Control
Dr Ryan Wallace
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, USA