Hamidu Sadat, the Veterinary Officer for Bongo District, has appealed to the national government to allocate a portion of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to support rabies prevention and control. The request follows five rabies‑related deaths recorded in the district and a broader regional toll of 36 deaths between June 2025 and September 2026, with Bongo accounting for the highest number among Upper East Region districts.
Sadat said that the additional funding would enable the Veterinary Services Department to organise free mass vaccination of dogs, a measure he believes is essential to reduce the spread of the disease. He noted that the district received only 120 doses of anti‑rabies vaccine for dogs during its last vaccination exercise, despite an estimated dog population of between 3,000 and 4,000.
He attributed the rising cases partly to the movement of dogs from Burkina Faso into Bongo through unapproved routes without proper vaccination checks. Dogs brought from the Yelwongo market in Burkina Faso often escape during transportation and become stray animals, increasing the risk of rabies transmission, Sadat explained to the Ghana News Agency.
Sadat also expressed concern that the estimated GH¢1,000 cost of anti‑rabies vaccines discourages dog‑bite victims from seeking treatment. Some resort to traditional remedies until the disease becomes difficult to manage, he said. “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 added.
The veterinary officer is calling for adequate vaccine supplies, sustained dog vaccination campaigns and stricter monitoring of animals entering the country through border communities to prevent further deaths. He hopes the government will recognise the public health risk and provide the necessary resources to protect both humans and animals in Bongo.
