The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided to identify a strategy for rabies elimination by 2030. Côte d’Ivoire has already started the strategic planning of dog-mediated rabies. It is the 2^nd of five steps in the pathway for rabies elimination as defined by the planning and evaluation tool, the so-called SARE, which aims at a reasoned approach to rabies elimination.

Two workshops were organized from 22 to 25 May 2018 and on the 6^th August 2018, to draft and finalize the strategic and integrated action plan for rabies control in Côte d’Ivoire. Based on the One Health approach and data provided through the Rabies-GAVI project led by the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Afrique One-ASPIRE, and their partners, this strategic plan has seven main components. These are (i) surveillance, (ii) analysis laboratory, (iii) prevention and control, (iv) management of the canine population, (v) education and information, (vi) legislation and (vii) cross-cutting activities. Also, it advocates for the adoption of the Thai Red Cross protocol by the Ivorian authorities. The action plan will be signed by the Ivorian ministry of fisheries and animal resources on the 28^th September 2018 at the occasion of the World Rabies Day.

Prof Bassirou Bonfoh, Director of Afrique One-ASPIRE, and Vessaly Kallo, an Afrique One-ASPIRE PhD fellow are among the expert committee in charge of drafting the action plan drafting.