The “Egypt Free of Rabies 2030” program, launched by Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation under Minister Alaa Farouk, officially began its first field phase on 6 Tuesday, January 2026. The program was inaugurated in the Ain Shams district of Cairo, where veterinary teams started vaccinating and sterilizing stray dogs as part of the nationwide campaign against rabies. Farouk has emphasized a shift from merely managing crises to addressing the root causes of the problem through internationally recognized animal welfare standards. In the first phase of this nationwide campaign, veterinary teams achieved remarkable results by vaccinating 293 free-roaming dogs and transferring an additional 25 for surgical sterilization. This “catch-neuter-vaccinate-release” approach aims to reduce the stray population and ensure that treated animals are returned to their original habitats, supporting ecological balance and preventing unvaccinated dogs from re-entering these areas. Moreover, the program intends to manage an estimated 10 to 11 million stray dogs through a structured plan that involves the construction of 12 shelters on the outskirts of major cities, including Cairo, Giza, Beheira, and Gharbiya. These facilities will be designed according to scientific standards and staffed by specialized veterinary…
