Since rabies epidemiology and the behavioral or cultural beliefs of the individuals most at risk will vary across localities, the first step of the communications plan is to identify the important points from an epidemiologic assessment as well as a comprehensive list of potential issues, challenges, and barriers to change that may affect the communication outreach. Challenges may be behavioral (e.g., beliefs on the use of medicine or vaccines), cultural (e.g., perceptions on dogs or other mammalian species), demographic (e.g., economic implications), or physical (e.g., access to healthcare or clean water). Another important aspect is to define the purpose of the communication, including identifying goals and objectives which should be adapted towards national needs. In addition, any outreach should be targeted to specific audiences, who can be segmented according to those most at risk, the primary audience (e.g., children and young boys, who in many areas take care of dogs), and influencers of the primary audience (e.g., healthcare providers, community leaders, and policy makers).