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Veterinary Officer appeals for support to curb rabies deaths in Bongo
Mr Hamidu Sadat, Bongo District Veterinary Officer, has appealed to the Government to allocate a portion of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to support rabies prevention and control activities in order to save lives.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bongo, he said the district had recorded the highest number of rabies-related deaths in the Upper East Region and called for urgent financial support to enable the Veterinary Services Department to undertake free mass vaccination of dogs.
According to him, the Upper East region recorded 36 rabies-related deaths between June 2025 and September 2026, with five of the deaths occurring in the Bongo District.
Mr Sadat attributed the situation partly to the district’s proximity to Burkina Faso, where dogs were often brought into the area through unapproved routes without proper monitoring or proof of vaccination.
“So, in that place, you can’t tell if the dogs are immunised, well vaccinated or not,” he said.
He explained that dogs from the Yelwongo market in Burkina Faso were transported to various markets in the region, including Bolgatanga and Bongo.
“When they bring the dogs from the Yelwongo market in Burkina Faso, they sell them in Bolgatanga and if they don’t sell all, they bring the remaining ones to Bongo Soe. There is a big dog market there,” he said.
Mr Sadat noted that some of the dogs escaped during transportation and became stray or community dogs, thereby increasing the risk of rabies transmission.
He expressed concern that many victims of dog bites failed to seek medical treatment because of the high cost of anti-rabies vaccines.
“They don’t report the dog bite because they will be told to take the vaccine, which is very expensive; it’s about GH₵1, 000.00,” he said.
According to him, many victims resorted to traditional remedies and other local treatments, only reporting to health facilities when the disease had progressed beyond medical intervention.
According to Mr Sadat, victims who died from rabies were typically bitten by dogs two to three months before their deaths, adding that the district had not recorded any cases where a person died shortly after being bitten.
He added that even among those who reported dog bites, some abandoned treatment after being advised to purchase the vaccine.
“So immediately you tell them to buy the vaccine, then they start running away,” he stated.
He disclosed that the district received only 120 doses of anti-rabies vaccine for dogs during the last vaccination exercise, a figure he described as woefully inadequate.
He described the 120 doses as insufficient, explaining that the district’s dog population far exceeded that number. According to him, there could be between 3,000 and 4,000 dogs in the district, with most households owning one or two dogs for hunting purposes.”
Mr Sadat explained that the district previously benefited from a government-supported programme that provided free anti-rabies vaccines for victims of dog bites, but supplies had become irregular.
He said anti-rabies vaccines for dog-bite victims were previously supplied through drone delivery services, but recent efforts to access the vaccines had been unsuccessful due to stock shortages, resulting in the suspension of the free vaccination support programme.
He expressed optimism that increasing vaccination coverage among dogs would significantly reduce human exposure to rabies and prevent further deaths.
Mr Sadat therefore appealed to the Government and relevant stakeholders to provide adequate funding and vaccines to support free mass dog vaccination exercises in the district.
He emphasised that sustained dog vaccination campaigns, improved monitoring of animals entering the country through border communities, and prompt reporting and treatment of dog bites were essential measures for controlling rabies and protecting public health. –GNA
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Having gone through a myriad of challenges, moments to cheer about and the dying inclination to aspire for greater heights, the Accra College of Medicine (ACM) has every reason to pause and look at its journey for the past decade.
The university’s 10th anniversary symposium was held recently under the theme: ‘A decade of excellence in medical education. Celebrating a legacy, shaping the future.’
The President of (ACM), Prof. Afua Adwo Jectey Hesse, said, “God has a purpose for the establishment of the university, and this really gives me joy.”
Commenting on the reason behind the establishment of the university during a panel discussion, Prof. Afua A.J. Hesse stated that the idea was born out of a concern raised by his son who observed that, “Though there are many qualified students who can read medicine in Ghana, the existing institutions cannot accommodate all of them. So why can’t we start a medical school to cater for this growing number of students”?
Prof. Hesse said it was incredible that the university was 10 years old and advised the students to always do what was essential in their practice. She assured them that there was a future for them, provided they took their studies seriously.
She said though there were a few collections at the beginning, the university could now boast of over 25, 000 documents.
Prof. Afua A.J. Hesse underlined that at the time of her medical practice, the practitioners had no luxury of numbers. One was compelled to cater for one’s family and equally discharged her duties as a doctor.
She said ACM was committed to training students to pursue excellence and to make a difference in the lives of others with compassion, empathy, joy, love, passion, and enthusiasm.
Dr Eli Atikpui, the Director of Institutional Advancement, Standards and External Relations, who was one of the panel members, described the decision by Prof. Rev. Frederick Adukwei Hesse, a co-founder of ACM, and his wife as a bold step in establishing the university.
He said being the first private medical institution, the Medical and Dental Council had to establish a check list which comprised a detailed questionnaire for the founders of the university to respond to, and was happy they provided the required answers.
Dr Atikpui noted that though the number of Ghanaian doctors had increased, a large percentage of them were stationed in Accra while another percentage was also stationed in Kumasi.
Prof. Alfred E. Yawson, a Consultant Public Health Physician, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, another member of the panel, indicated that the couple were his lectures at the University of Ghana Medical School, and he was not surprised about the feat they had chalked over the period.
By Raymond Kyekye
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Efforts to improve women’s access to financial services and create more economic opportunities for them have come into focus as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) works with Ghana to promote gender-responsive fiscal policies.
The initiative, which seeks to make financial inclusion more accessible to women across the country, is expected to identify practical ways of strengthening gender-responsive budgeting, improving access to financial services and providing targeted technical support to relevant institutions.
As part of the exercise, UNECA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has held a technical consultation to examine Ghana’s existing financial inclusion policies and explore ways of making them more responsive to women’s needs.
The meeting brought together representatives from government institutions, financial sector organisations, civil society and development partners to share experiences and discuss strategies for advancing women’s economic empowerment.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief Director, the Director of the Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, Mrs Florence Ayisi Quartey, welcomed the UNECA delegation and participants.
She described the consultation as a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to review existing policies, exchange ideas and identify areas requiring attention to improve women’s participation in economic activities.
Mrs Quartey expressed the Ministry’s appreciation for UNECA’s engagement and said the team’s expertise would be useful in strengthening the implementation and impact of programmes aimed at promoting gender equality.
The UNECA team explained that its mission was to gain a better understanding of Ghana’s financial inclusion systems and identify practical tools for tracking progress and building the capacity of relevant institutions.
It noted that women’s financial needs were not the same, stressing the importance of developing inclusive strategies that took into account the circumstances of young women, female entrepreneurs and women in vulnerable situations.
Participants also discussed some of the challenges preventing women from accessing financial services and examined how fiscal policies could be designed to address those barriers.
The discussions further explored ways of making financial sector initiatives more responsive to women while ensuring that public budgeting and resource allocation took gender considerations into account.
The scoping mission is expected to culminate in a comprehensive assessment that will guide recommendations for improving gender-responsive budgeting, strengthening financial inclusion and expanding economic opportunities for women.
The exercise is also expected to contribute to broader efforts to ensure that women are better positioned to participate in and benefit from Ghana’s economic development.
By Spectator Reporter
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