Field Control of Rabies in Tanzania

Summary

Despite the fact that Tanzania has a legislation that appears to be adequate for the control and subsequent elimination of dog rabies, nonetheless the country has been unable to control/eliminate dog rabies. Year after year rabies outbreaks are reported, and tie-up orders and other movement restrictions are put into force, but the incidence of the disease is on the increase.

Destruction of unvaccinated stray dogs, an effective weapon against spread of dog rabies, is limited due to lack of shot guns in conjunction with the poor response of the Government efforts to control rabies.

Some success has however, been achieved in some of the hard-hit districts of the country. This is attributed to the rigorous public information which preceded campaigns. In spite of these efforts and successes, the disease has not been brought under control in those districts. There is, therefore, a need to concentrate our resources and efforts in effective control operations, which call for a comprehensive national plan, including: mobilisation of all local services and resources, technical cooperation with specific objectives to eliminate country-wide human rabies, elimination of dog rabies as a source of human rabies and losses in domestic animals strengthening intersectorial cooperation in rabies control, and strengthening of primary health care at all administrative levels.