Rabies

Developing more effective rabies vaccination programmes in Tanzania

Rabies is a deadly disease that still causes more than 700 deaths every year in Tanzania. Almost all cases in people are caused by bites from infected dogs. Vaccinating dogs is the most effective way to prevent rabies in humans, but in practice it is difficult to keep vaccination levels high and consistent across the country. As a result, rabies continues to spread in some communities, putting people at ongoing risk.

This Foundation-funded project, led by Dr Maganga Sambo from the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, will use more than 20 years of detailed data from the country, including records of dog vaccination campaigns, reported rabies cases and outbreaks. By combining maps with computer‑based simulations, the research will look at how past vaccination efforts have influenced where and when rabies outbreaks occur, and why the disease keeps returning in certain areas despite control efforts.

At the University of Edinburgh, and in collaboration with Dr Stella Mazeri, Maganga will identify places where the risk of rabies is highest and compare different vaccination strategies. This includes vaccinating dogs evenly across all areas versus focusing resources on priority locations, such as those with low vaccination coverage or where dogs move frequently between communities.

The researchers believe that targeting vaccination in high‑risk areas will make better use of limited funding and staff. The findings will help design more effective dog vaccination campaigns across Tanzania. By improving coverage and targeting the right communities, this research aims to save lives and support Tanzania’s goal of eliminating deaths from human rabies by 2030.