Vaccination of dogs against rabies either as routine events or to celebrate World Rabies Day (WRD) are largely limited to urban and peri-urban areas, yet 80% of total human rabies cases are reported in rural and remote areas. This fact sent our team focus on rural areas for this year's (18th WRD) celebrations. To let local people, own and buy-in in to this activity, we twinned it with a traditional/cultural ceremony called "Ikubi Lya Bana Munyati", celebrated by the Ila speaking peoples under Senior Chief Nalubamba of Namwala District, 340 km from Lusaka. Ikubi Lya Bana Munyati was held at the same date as WRD! This is a district whose locals largely depend on ranching. People own large herds of cattle as a symbol of wealth and prestige. Because they take their animals to graze in distant places for extended periods, they keep dogs which both serve as the herders' companions and also hunting for food during this long stay in the wild. This implies there is an elevated risk of the domestic dogs contracting rabies from the wild carnivores. The converse may also be true. Because of this heightened risk of exposure to rabies, such districts as Namwala are in need of regular vaccinations much more than in urban settings. Most of the over 200 mostly adult dogs vaccinated on 28th September, 2024, non-had had a prior vaccination against rabies or indeed any other disease. Our team sponsored by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Organization for Animal Health, USAID, Zambeef Plc and Breakthrough Action Zambia and led by the Government through the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (where I belong) celebrated with people of Namwala as well as celebrating #BreakingRabiesBounderies created by limited reach to rural and remote areas relating to rabies prevention and control activities. It is my dream that mass rabies vaccinations could be mainstreamed in events like cultural/traditional ceremonies that are important especially among the people in remote and rural areas where #BreakingRabiesBoundaries is needed most!
Event images
