An anti-rabies vaccine is administered to a dog in a residential district in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines, July 3, 2019. EPA-EFE/ROLEX DELA PENA

Mexico has become the first country in the world to be free from dog-transmitted rabies, according to the Pan American Health Organization on Monday announcing the World Health Organization validation.

To achieve WHO validation, Mexico implemented a strategy that included free mass-vaccination campaigns for dogs from the 1990s, as well as continuous surveillance and public awareness-raising campaigns for a timely diagnosis. EFE-EPA