On Friday, September 26, 2025, the Department of Health Promotion and Environmental Protection (DPSPE) celebrated World Rabies Day in the presence of Dr. Gabriel Thimothé, Director General of the Ministry of Public Health; Dr. Oscar Bareneche, Representative of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO Haiti); a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture; central and departmental directors; and numerous ministry officials.

In his remarks, Dr. Francisco Noël, Director of the DPSPE, reiterated that the rabies situation in Haiti is a major health challenge; he emphasized that it is imperative to intensify our efforts to eradicate rabies in Haiti.

For his part, Gabriel Thimothé emphasized that this day serves as a reminder that collective and individual action is needed to eliminate rabies, with an emphasis on vaccination, education, and mobilization.

Surveillance data collected between 2022 and 2024 in Haiti confirm that the rabies virus remains a serious public health threat: during this period, health authorities investigated more than 8,000 suspected cases of canine rabies. Of these, more than 1,100 were deemed probable and 46 were laboratory-confirmed. During the same period, 24 suspected human cases were identified, and eight rabies-related deaths were confirmed.

IH/ S/ iciHaiti