Integrating a community-based continuous mass dog vaccination delivery strategy into the veterinary system of Tanzania: A process evaluation using normalization process theory

Duamor, Christian Tetteh; Hampson, Katie; Lankester, Felix; Lugelo, Ahmed; Changalucha, Joel; Lushasi, Kennedy; Czupryna, Anna; Mpolya, Emmanuel; Kreppel, Katharina; Cleaveland, Sarah; Wyke, Sally

doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100575

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Also, the fact that nearly half (43.6%) of DOHHs (n = 1228) were not aware of MDV campaigns and the other half did not vaccinate their dogs for various reasons raises questions about awareness and communication regarding these intervention measures. Regular community engagement and ongoing awareness of MDV are critical, and strategies must be adaptable and make the best use of all available resources [ 73 ] and help increase dog owner participation in vaccination campaigns, as recently demonstrated in Tanzania [ 74 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog ecology and rabies knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia

Tenzin,

Hikufe,

Hedimbi

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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In 2021, a comprehensive dog demographic questionnaire combined with a KAP survey were conducted in the northern communal areas (NCAs) of Namibia with the aim of gaining a better understanding of dog populations, owner behaviour, and knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) relating to rabies. The survey of 3,726 households across the eight regions of the NCAs provided insights that will inform interventions in order to improve human rabies prevention and Namibia’s dog rabies control strategy. The results showed a relatively low average human/dog ratio (HDR) of 5.4:1 indicating a surprisingly high dog population of at least 272,000 dogs in the NCAs, 93% of which appear to be owned but are free-roaming. Data analysis revealed opportunities but also highlighted needs for improvements in rabies surveillance and mass dog vaccinations. Although knowledge, attitude, and practice scores towards epidemiologic and clinical aspects, human rabies prevention, and dog rabies vaccination were deemed to be acceptable, the survey nevertheless revealed deficiencies in certain aspects in some of the population. Interestingly, data seemed to indicate relatively high dog bite incidences per 100,000 people, ranging between 262 and 1,369 and a certain number of unreported human rabies cases. Despite the very high number of dogs, only 50% of dog-owning households reported having vaccinated their dogs. In order to address these issues, the planning, announcement, and implementation of mass dog vaccination campaigns needs to be adapted to achieve adequate vaccination coverage. Another focus needs to be on rabies awareness and education if Namibia is to be significantly contributing to the global goal of “Zero by 30”.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog ecology and rabies knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia

Tenzin,

Hikufe,

Hedimbi

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Also, the fact that nearly half (43.6%) of DOHHs (n=1228) were not aware of MDV campaigns and the other half did not vaccinate their dogs for various reasons raises questions about awareness and communication regarding these intervention measures. Regular community engagement and ongoing awareness of MDV are critical, and strategies must be adaptable and make the best use of all available resources [72] and help increase dog owner participation in vaccination campaigns, as recently demonstrated in Tanzania [73].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog Ecology and Rabies Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia

Tenzin,

Hikufe,

Hedimbi

et al. 2023

Preprint

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In 2021, a comprehensive dog demographic questionnaire combined with a KAP survey were conducted in the northern communal areas (NCAs) of Namibia with the aim of gaining a better understanding of dog populations, owner behaviour, and knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) relating to rabies. The survey of 3,726 households across the eight regions of the NCAs provided insights that will inform interventions on order to improve human rabies prevention and Namibia's dog rabies control strategy. The results showed a relatively low average human/dog ratio (HDR) of 5.4:1 indicating a surprisingly high dog population of at least 272,000 dogs in the NCAs, 93% of which appear to be owned but are free-roaming. Data analysis revealed opportunities but also highlighted needs for improvements in rabies surveillance and mass dog vaccinations. Although knowledge, attitude, and practice scores towards epidemiologic and clinical aspects, human rabies prevention, and canine rabies vaccination were deemed to be acceptable, the survey nevertheless revealed deficiencies in some of the population. Interestingly, data seemed to indicate a certain number of unreported human rabies cases. Other findings included the very high number of dogs. However, only 50% of dog-owning households reported having vaccinated their dogs. In order to address these issues, the planning, announcement, and implementation of mass dog vaccination campaigns need to be adapted to achieve adequate vaccination coverage. Another focus needs to be on rabies awareness and education if Namibia is to be significantly contributing to the global goal of "Zero by 30".

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Reducing spatial heterogeneity in coverage improves the effectiveness of dog vaccination against rabies

Ferguson,

Lugelo,

Czupryna

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Vaccination programs are the mainstay of control for many infectious diseases. Heterogeneous coverage is hypothesised to reduce vaccination effectiveness, but this impact has not been quantified in real systems. We address this gap using fine-scale data from two decades of rabies contact tracing and dog vaccination campaigns in Serengeti district, Tanzania. Using generalised linear mixed models, we find that current local (village-level) dog rabies incidence decreases with increasing recent local vaccination coverage. However, current local incidence is most dependent on recent incidence, both locally and in the wider district, consistent with high population connectivity. Removing the masking effects of prior non-local incidence shows that, for the same average prior vaccination coverage beyond the focal village, more spatial variation increases local incidence. These effects led to outbreaks following years when vaccination campaigns missed many villages, whereas when heterogeneity in coverage was reduced, incidence declined to low levels (<0.4 cases/1,000 dogs annually and no human deaths), such that short vaccination lapses thereafter did not lead to resurgence. We inferred ongoing rabies incursions into the district, suggesting regional connectivity as an important source of residual transmission. Overall, we provide an empirical demonstration of how the same average vaccination coverage can lead to differing outcomes based on its spatial distribution, highlighting the importance of fine-scale monitoring in managing vaccination programs.

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Integrating a community-based continuous mass dog vaccination delivery strategy into the veterinary system of Tanzania: A process evaluation using normalization process theory

Cited by 5 publications

References 37 publications

Dog ecology and rabies knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia

Dog ecology and rabies knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia

Dog Ecology and Rabies Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia

Reducing spatial heterogeneity in coverage improves the effectiveness of dog vaccination against rabies

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