THE AFYA PROGRAM
The Afya Program is a global non-profit initiative supported by MSD Animal Health. For more than 25 years, we have been committed to donating canine rabies vaccines for use in developing regions of the world that so desperately need it. We have dedicated our full support behind the humanitarian efforts of our partners, including Rabies Free Africa and Mission Rabies, and their goal of eliminating canine-mediated rabies.
MILESTONES AND SUCCESSES
AFYA PROGRAM OVERVIEW VIDEO
See how the Afya Program supports rabies elimination around the world.
OUR ONGOING LEGACY
See where The Afya Program began and where it is today.
1996
Partnership with Professor Sarah
Cleaveland to support the Serengeti
research project.
2004–2006
Donations increased as more local
organisations contributed. Serengeti
research project renamed ‘Afya
Serengeti’ (Afya is Swahili for ‘health’).
2007–2012
The programme continued to expand
and became an official global donation project.
2013
Mission Rabies is founded by Dr. Luke Gamble.
MSD Animal Health partners with Mission Rabies.
The overarching name for our initiative is changed to
‘The Afya Program’.
2016
The Afya Program marks
2 million rabies vaccines donated.
2017
Mission Rabies eliminates rabies
in Ranchi, India.
2018
‘Afya Serengeti’ changes name
to ‘Rabies Free Africa’.
2019
The Afya Program celebrates
3 million doses donated.
2021
The Afya Program marks 25 years
of supporting rabies elimination efforts
in underserved parts of the world.
2022
Celebrated the milestone of
5 million doses donated.
2023
Celebrated the milestone of
10 years partnering with Mission Rabies.
TODAY
The Afya program celebrates
the milestone of more than
6 million doses donated.
ZERO BY 30
Zero by 30 is a global goal set by the United Against Rabies Forum, dedicated to eliminating human deaths from canine-mediated rabies by the year 2030.
