Ecuador partners with Boehringer Ingelheim to eliminate Rabies

The Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador signed a cooperation agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to launch the Ecuador Libre de Rabia project.

The initiative aims to eliminate rabies by strengthening the country's institutional and community capacities to detect and respond to sanitary risks. The project focuses on four main areas: improving the regulatory framework and evidence generation, strengthening sanitary surveillance, promoting education on responsible pet ownership, and supporting canine vaccination.

These actions seek to create lasting infrastructure that allows the country to maintain progress over time. The project also includes technical cooperation and sustainable development support from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ). Rabies is a zoonotic disease that affects the nervous system of mammals and can be fatal once symptoms appear. It spreads through the saliva of infected animals via bites or contact with open wounds and mucous membranes.

To stop the transmission, authorities emphasize the importance of vaccinating dogs and cats and seeking immediate medical attention after a bite. Ecuador has not recorded cases of human rabies since 2011, and has not recorded cases in dogs and cats since 2006. The government and its partners aim to maintain these records to eventually achieve certification as a country free of canine-transmitted rabies.