Day 20

A rabies vaccination dose for a dog in Uganda

Lifesaver: Vaccination Lifesaver: Vaccination

The story of a forgotten disease

Joshua has been walking along the dusty dirt road with his two dogs for half an hour. His destination? One of the neighboring communities. He read on a poster at the school that dogs can be vaccinated against rabies there today. There have been several outbreaks of rabies in the region in recent months. Joshua knows from stories that a simple vaccination is enough to prevent rabies infection. That is why he now wants to protect himself, his dogs and his community from the disease. When he arrives at the site, he joins the line of people waiting with their dogs - he also sees a few cats. When it is his turn, both dogs are vaccinated against rabies and he receives a vaccination certificate for each. Joshua is relieved because the two are more than just loyal companions, they help him look after his sheep and goats and watch over him and his family at night - a very special bond between humans and animals.

Doc Polly presents her favorite project in the video

need

Protecting vulnerable people, especially children, from rabies infection through the bite of a dog

activity

Implementation of broad-based education and vaccination campaigns to contain and permanently eradicate rabies in Uganda

Measurable performance

Number of rabies vaccine doses administered to dogs

Result

Increasing number of vaccinated dogs living with humans and reduction of (fatal) rabies infections, especially among children and especially in rural areas of Uganda

Systemically relevant impact

Through education and vaccination campaigns, the spread of rabies as an NTD is being curbed in the West Nile Region & Karamoja, Uganda

background

In most countries in the world, rabies has been successfully combated through vaccinations of domestic and wild animals, numerous legal regulations and educational work. However, this applies primarily to countries in the Global North, because for many people in the countries of the Global South, the infectious disease is still part of everyday life. Rabies is therefore also one of the so-called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), because every death is preventable through existing control strategies and shows the unfair access to vaccines and life-saving education. Around 99% of human rabies cases are caused by dog bites. The most cost-effective and effective method of protecting people and animals from it is the widespread vaccination of dogs (GARC, 2022). This makes it all the more important to carry out targeted vaccination campaigns in the most affected regions in order to contain rabies there and, ideally, eradicate it. In keeping with the One Health approach, which requires the holistic health of people, animals and their shared environment for sustainable development, vaccination and education campaigns are carried out. Dogs and cats are vaccinated and their owners are informed about the protection of the vaccination. The four-legged friends are also dewormed to protect them and the people living with them from the dog tapeworm. This counteracts the spread of two NTDs and ensures a reduction in infectious diseases with the help of One Health. During the vaccination campaigns in Uganda, only animals that are tied to their owners are vaccinated. These are mainly dogs that are of great importance to their owners as guard or herding dogs. The goal? To eradicate rabies in East Africa by 2030. This goal comes from the “Zero by 30” campaign, the global strategy to combat rabies (WHO, 2019).

Central Region, West Nile Region & Karamoja

The good deed

Every good deed finances the vaccination of a dog against rabies - a vaccination that protects the life of the dog and that of the people and animals around it with immediate effect. In the name of One Health, the vaccination campaigns are accompanied by public relations and educational work in schools and churches to inform people about this neglected tropical disease and to ensure sustainable development in the fight against rabies. This brings the goal of eradicating rabies in Uganda by 2030 one step closer.