By Sarah Dubure
Bongo (U/E), Nov. 07, GNA – Mr Hamidu Sadat, Bongo District Veterinary Officer, has appealed to the Government to allocate a portion of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to support rabies prevention and control activities in order to save lives.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bongo, he said the district had recorded the highest number of rabies-related deaths in the Upper East Region and called for urgent financial support to enable the Veterinary Services Department to undertake free mass vaccination of dogs.
According to him, the Upper East region recorded 36 rabies-related deaths between June 2025 and September 2026, with five of the deaths occurring in the Bongo District.
Mr Sadat attributed the situation partly to the district’s proximity to Burkina Faso, where dogs were often brought into the area through unapproved routes without proper monitoring or proof of vaccination.
“So, in that place, you can’t tell if the dogs are immunised, well vaccinated or not,” he said.
He explained that dogs from the Yelwongo market in Burkina Faso were transported to various markets in the region, including Bolgatanga and Bongo.
“When they bring the dogs from the Yelwongo market in Burkina Faso, they sell them in Bolgatanga and if they don’t sell all, they bring the remaining ones to Bongo Soe. There is a big dog market there,” he said.
Mr Sadat noted that some of the dogs escaped during transportation and became stray or community dogs, thereby increasing the risk of rabies transmission.
He expressed concern that many victims of dog bites failed to seek medical treatment because of the high cost of anti-rabies vaccines.
“They don’t report the dog bite because they will be told to take the vaccine, which is very expensive; it’s about GHS1,000.00,” he said.
According to him, many victims resorted to traditional remedies and other local treatments, only reporting to health facilities when the disease had progressed beyond medical intervention.
According to Mr Sadat, victims who died from rabies were typically bitten by dogs two to three months before their deaths, adding that the district had not recorded any cases where a person died shortly after being bitten.
He added that even among those who reported dog bites, some abandoned treatment after being advised to purchase the vaccine.
“So immediately you tell them to buy the vaccine, then they start running away,” he stated.
He disclosed that the district received only 120 doses of anti-rabies vaccine for dogs during the last vaccination exercise, a figure he described as woefully inadequate.
He described the 120 doses as insufficient, explaining that the district’s dog population far exceeded that number. According to him, there could be between 3,000 and 4,000 dogs in the district, with most households owning one or two dogs for hunting purposes.”
Mr Sadat explained that the district previously benefited from a government-supported programme that provided free anti-rabies vaccines for victims of dog bites, but supplies had become irregular.
He said anti-rabies vaccines for dog-bite victims were previously supplied through drone delivery services, but recent efforts to access the vaccines had been unsuccessful due to stock shortages, resulting in the suspension of the free vaccination support programme.
He expressed optimism that increasing vaccination coverage among dogs would significantly reduce human exposure to rabies and prevent further deaths.
Mr Sadat therefore appealed to the Government and relevant stakeholders to provide adequate funding and vaccines to support free mass dog vaccination exercises in the district.
He emphasised that sustained dog vaccination campaigns, improved monitoring of animals entering the country through border communities, and prompt reporting and treatment of dog bites were essential measures for controlling rabies and protecting public health.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Lydia Kukua Asamoah