The meeting brought together rabies experts from nine Middle East, North Africa and Eastern European countries, International organizations and related partners, to foster dialogue in the MEEREB regional network with the aim to improve rabies control and prevention through shared experience, advocacy and implementation of state-of-the-art knowledge.
During this three‐day meeting, professionals from Algeria, Croatia, Georgia, Morocco, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Ukraine met with experts from the Pasteur Institute, OIE, WHO, FAO and the GARC to discuss the rabies situation in their respective countries and identify strategies to prevent and control the disease, taking into account their regional context.
Participants were able to share current epidemiological data and country strategies, to learn about novel tools, and also facilitated, through various workshops, networking and pursuing common commitment to eliminate rabies in the region. The purpose of this expert meeting is to develop strategies and actions that will be followed from meeting to meeting through the exchange of information and data as well as open forum discussions.
An important message that emerged from the conference was the importance of a One Health approach in enabling rabies collaboration on key fronts. A greater concerted effort must be made amongst the human, veterinary and related sectors in order to implement an integrated strategy that is essential for a sustainable control of rabies.
About the MEEREB Network
The Middle East and Eastern Europe Rabies Expert Bureau is an informal group of experts in rabies, including members from the following countries: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan/
MEEREB is committed to contributing to rabies elimination in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The members meet every year to present and discuss the rabies situation in their respective countries, share experiences, address specific problems encountered in clinical practice, and find practical solutions.