The free vaccination campaign among dog and cat owners in Nasarawa State is a significant turning point in the fight against rabies in Nigeria.
For years, the deadly disease has spread quietly, claiming hundreds of lives annually—especially in rural communities where awareness and access to vaccines are limited. This new campaign aims to curb the spread of rabies, a virus primarily transmitted through bites from infected animals
Despite being entirely preventable, rabies continues to persist because of minimal vaccination rates and limited veterinary services.
States taking action
Alongside this, several other measures to improve rabies control are afoot across Nigeria. In states like Oyo, veterinary services schedule vaccination for pets every year.
Flouting this edict attracts a fine of either N250,000 or six months’ imprisonment—or both. Veterinary personnel carry out visits to homes and schools to create awareness, thereby reducing the prevalence of the disease.
In addition, non-governmental organisations and animal health supporters are also ramping up the efforts.
Organisations such as the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) as well as the Global Alliance for Control of Rabies offer vaccines and health workers to create awareness among the community to adopt proper pet-owning practices.
In the northern region, radio jingles help to foster rabies awareness among rural residents, educating dog owners on the need for routine vaccination.
On the national level, guidelines by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC)—such as the adoption of “One Health” principles—aim to facilitate proper reporting between the veterinary and health working realms, ensuring prompt responses to rabies cases.
Despite this advancement, setbacks abound. Among them are the lack of vaccine distribution to village resettlements, inaccurate data submission and inadequate public cooperation. Together, these have slowed progress.
Towards a rabies-free future
Yet continuous government support and improved animal vaccine regulations can counteract these odds.
If the Nasarawa model is replicated nationwide, Nigeria can come closer to the World Health Organisation’s target to eliminate human rabies cases transmitted by dogs by 2030.
Ensuring that dogs are safer signals a beacon of hope for healthy living.
Summary not available at this time.
