KUCHING: The Rabies in Borneo (RIB) 2025 Conference wrapped up on Wednesday with a resounding call for collective regional action to eliminate rabies, not only in Borneo but across Asia, by the year 2030.
Held over two days at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), the conference themed “Rabies-Free Borneo: Uniting People, Animals and Communities” brought together more than 400 delegates from 12 countries, including experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), government agencies, and research institutions.
Delegates shared strategies ranging from mass dog vaccination and molecular diagnostics to digital innovations and cross-border cooperation.
Key highlights included WHO’s Dr Gyanendra Gongal on the global “Zero by 30” roadmap and WOAH’s Dr Karma Rinzin on post-elimination strategies.
A milestone was the signing of an MoU between Kuching South City Council (MBKS) and the Sarawak SPCA to implement a Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return (CNVR) programme in council areas, reinforcing humane animal management as part of rabies control.
In his closing remarks, Sarawak Department of Veterinary Services Director, Datu Dr. Adrian Susin Ambud stressed that rabies elimination requires education, prevention, and shared responsibility.
He announced that the movement will expand under a proposed Rabies in Asia (RIA) 2026 platform to strengthen regional collaboration.
“Rabies is not only a health concern but a societal challenge,” he said.
“From responsible pet ownership to bottom-up community engagement and education in schools, we must all play a role,” Datu Dr. Adrian added.
Sarawak’s ongoing efforts through the Immune Belt Enforcement Teams (IBET) have already achieved over 80 per cent vaccination coverage and zero human rabies cases for two consecutive years.
The conference concluded with delegates reaffirming their commitment to a united Asia-wide effort, aligning Sarawak’s 2030 rabies-free goal with the global mission to end dog-mediated human rabies deaths within the decade. -UKASnews
