The ‘World Café’: Strengthening Rabies Prevention with the Government–Academia Collaboration in Japan

The Japanese national government strengthened its rabies action plan in accordance with three guidelines: (i) for risk management and rabies detection through a reporting system; (ii) for the road map after an outbreak; and (iii) for animal surveillance. The government has held a national rabies training course, including a hands-on nationwide programme of laboratory diagnosis and workshops, since 2015, targeting local government veterinary public health officers. This chapter discusses a participatory interactive workshop, the ‘World Café’, which was introduced to the training course. The key points of the World Café are its participatory approach, hence small group conversations and discussion. The workshops changed participants’ perceptions effectively and increased their awareness for sustained preparedness for a rabies outbreak. The World Café targets idea exchange to generate breakthroughs in sustainable rabies control. Participatory, practical rabies training courses in Japan, a rabies-free country, could serve as a model for rabies control and prevention through public education and awareness for Zero by 30 worldwide.