By Ernest Bako WUBONTO
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) and animal health stakeholders, have sounded an alarm on the rising incidence of rabies in Ghana.
The animal health stakeholders at the press launch of the World Rabies Day (WRD) 2024, highlighted that in Ghana, dog bites and rabies cases have been on the rise, particularly in the Western and Greater Accra regions. Dogs are the primary carriers of rabies, responsible for more than 95 percent of human cases worldwide through bites or scratches from infected animals.
In 2023 alone 331 suspected cases were recorded, with Greater Accra leading with 112 and Western Region in second at 102 – accounting for 64.65 percent of these cases. Meanwhile, the Bono, Oti and Western North Regions reported no cases.
In 2024, as of September there have been 31 confirmed animal rabies cases across nine regions of Ghana with 26 human fatalities. Tragically, rabies cases continue to emerge; even in this month.
Between 2009 and 2011, 25 human deaths from rabies were recorded. This number escalated to 57 rabies deaths in 2016 and it’s feared that many cases go unreported.
Chief Veterinary Officer-Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr. Emmanuel Allegye-Cudjoe advocated regular vaccinations for pets, especially dogs, to eradicate the rabies virus and safeguard lives.
He urged individuals to report animal bites to the nearest health facilities as a matter of emergency for prompt treatment.
The 2024 celebration’s theme , ‘Breaking Rabies Boundaries,’ focuses on overcoming barriers to rabies elimination through education, community engagement and vaccination programmes.
Planned activities include social media campaigns, educational outreaches, media engagement and free or subsidised pet vaccinations – with a national celebration in Barekese, Ashanti Region, on September 28, 2024.
On his part, Greater Accra Region’s Veterinary Director, Joseph Kofi Abah, called on government for increased budget funding allocations into the veterinary sector to expand vaccination and diagnostic centres across the country.
He also called on stakeholders to support fast-tracking passage of the Animal Health Act 2020 to streamline the sector.
The Rabies Effect?
Rabies is a deadly viral disease that affects mammals, typically transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals, leading to fatal inflammation of the brain, nervous system disorders and, ultimately, death.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), rabies claims the lives of approximately 70,000 people annually – with 144 people succumbing to the disease daily; that’s one death every 10 minutes.
Alarmingly, 99 percent of these deaths occur in Africa and Asia, particularly in developing countries, with Ghana being no exception. Children under 15 years of age are the most vulnerable, accounting for 40 percent of those bitten by rabid animals.
Ghana’s Commitment to Eradicating Rabies
Ghana is one of many countries committed to the global goal of eradicating rabies by 2030. In 2019, Ghana launched a National Action Plan to guide efforts toward this goal. However, during the National Bridging Workshop held in September 2022 Ghana received low scores in rabies awareness – a worrying sign, given that less than seven years remain to meet the 2030 deadline.
Rabies, though endemic in Ghana, is a vaccine-preventable disease and can be eliminated. Countries such as Cape Verde, Libya, Mauritius and Seychelles have successfully eradicated rabies through vaccination programmes, political commitment and effective programme management.
