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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Eliminating Rabies in Tanzania? Local Understandings and Responses to Mass Dog Vaccination in Kilombero and Ulanga Districts
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Volume 8, No. 6, Article e2935, Year 2014
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Description
Background:With increased global attention to neglected diseases, there has been a resurgence of interest in eliminating rabies from developing countries through mass dog vaccination. Tanzania recently embarked on an ambitious programme to repeatedly vaccinate dogs in 28 districts. To understand community perceptions and responses to this programme, we conducted an anthropological study exploring the relationships between dogs, society, geography and project implementation in the districts of Kilombero and Ulanga, Southern Tanzania.Methodology/Principal Findings:Over three months in 2012, we combined the use of focus groups, semi-structured interviews, a household questionnaire and a population-based survey. Willingness to participate in vaccination was mediated by fear of rabies, high medical treatment costs and the threat of dog culling, as well as broader notions of social responsibility. However, differences between town, rural and (agro-) pastoralist populations in livelihood patterns and dog ownership impacted coverage in ways that were not well incorporated into project planning. Coverage in six selected villages was estimated at 25%, well below official estimates. A variety of problems with campaign mobilisation, timing, the location of central points, equipment and staff, and project organisation created barriers to community compliance. Resource-limitations and institutional norms limited the ability for district staff to adapt implementation strategies.Conclusions and Significance:In the shadows of resource and institutional limitations in the veterinary sector in Africa, top-down interventions for neglected zoonotic diseases likes rabies need to more explicitly engage with project organisation, capacity and community participation. Greater attention to navigating local realities in planning and implementation is essential to ensuring that rabies, and other neglected diseases, are controlled sustainably. © 2014 Bardosh et al.
Authors & Co-Authors
Bardosh, Kevin Louis
Unknown Affiliation
Sambo, Maganga
Unknown Affiliation
Sikana, Lwitiko
Unknown Affiliation
Hampson, Katie
Unknown Affiliation
Welburn, Susan Christina
Unknown Affiliation
Statistics
Citations: 58
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 5
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pntd.0002935
ISSN:
19352727
e-ISSN:
19352735
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Quantitative
Study Locations
Tanzania