Every year, rabies takes the lives of nearly 60,000 people worldwide—tragic losses that are almost entirely preventable through awareness, vaccination, and collective action. In recognition of this year’s World Rabies Day theme, Veterinarians Without Borders North America (VWB) invites you to join an engaging webinar featuring field partners and global experts. Together, we’ll explore how One Health approaches are driving change, hear practical insights from the frontlines of rabies prevention, and highlight how local efforts are contributing to the global goal of ending human rabies deaths by 2030.
LIVE WEBINAR: Monday, September 29th @ 12pm-1pm EST
>> Register Now <<
MEET THE PANEL:
Dr. Gregory Pietsch (DVM)
Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Gregory studied Wildlife Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks before earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota. With over 20 years of experience, he has practiced in both urban clinics and remote settings, focusing on companion animal care and public health. Since joining the faculty at UAF, Gregory has led Nanook VetServe, a One Health initiative that trains veterinary students to deliver preventive care and community outreach in underserved Alaskan communities. His work strengthens animal health, improves community well-being, and provides students with transformative learning experiences. In addition to his academic role, Gregory collaborates with Veterinarians Without Borders and regional partners to expand veterinary services and promote rabies prevention in remote regions. His commitment reflects a deep dedication to advancing One Health and preparing the next generation of veterinarians to serve with skill and compassion.
In this webinar, Gregory will discuss his work in Alaska and beyond, showing how veterinary expertise and collaboration with local leaders are advancing rabies prevention and strengthening One Health through student-led outreach in underserved communities.
Krystina Dragomaretska
Country Manager, Ukraine War Animals Relief Fund (UWARF) & 12 Guards Team Member
Krystina brings extensive frontline experience in animal rescue and care from war-torn Ukraine. As Country Manager for the Ukraine War Animals Relief Fund (UWARF), she manages the Under the Sun dog shelter in the Odesa region, providing safe refuge and veterinary support to animals in need. She also volunteers with 12 Guards, an organization dedicated to rescuing animals from frontline areas under high-risk conditions. Her work spans shelter management, rabies prevention, sterilization, and safe animal handling, often employing innovative field techniques in challenging environments. Through both UWARF and 12 Guards, Krystina combines hands-on rescue with community coordination to deliver compassionate, effective care where it is most urgently needed.
In this webinar, Krystina will share stories from the frontline of animal rescue and care in Ukraine, focusing on rabies prevention, wound care, and safe animal handling in high-risk contexts.
Dr. Katinka de Balogh (Dr.med.vet, DESS, Dipl. ECVPH)
Former Senior Animal Health and Production Officer, FAO Investment Centre, Rome, Italy (Retired)
Katinka studied veterinary medicine in Berlin and Munich and obtained her doctorate in tropical parasitology from the Tropical Institute of the University of Munich in 1984. She specialised in tropical animal production and health in France and in Veterinary Public Health (VPH) in the Netherlands. After a short career as a zoo veterinarian in the Rotterdam Zoo she moved to Africa where she worked for 9 years as a district veterinary officer in rural Zambia and lecturer at the veterinary faculties of Lusaka (Zambia) and Maputo (Mozambique). In 1997 she started as a lecturer in VPH and international coordinator at the veterinary faculty in Utrecht, the Netherlands. From 2002 until 2022, she worked at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy and was the FAO focal point on One Health and its linkages with the World Organisation for Animal Health and the World Health Organization. Katinka now serves on the VWB Canada Board of Directors, leveraging her extensive expertise in global health initiatives.
In this webinar, Katinka will explore how rabies serves as a model disease for advancing One Health, with a focus on challenges and solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on decades of field and policy experience, she will highlight strategies to strengthen veterinary public health, empower communities, and build cross-sector collaborations toward a rabies-free world.
