The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in Bongo District has reported five rabies deaths following dog bites between June 2025 and October 2026. Four of the victims were children aged between one and 15 years. The situation has been described as requiring urgent public attention. The deaths highlight the need for increased awareness and preventive measures against rabies in the district.
A total of 115 dog-bite cases were reported across the Bongo District, with Bongo Central recording 41 cases and four deaths, while Bongo-Soe recorded 27 cases and one death involving a 65-year-old person. The District Disease Control Officer, Madam Clotilda Asobuno, disclosed this during an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the observance of World Rabies Day.
The World Rabies Day observance, originally scheduled for September 28, was postponed due to a ban on noisemaking in the district. As part of the activities, participants embarked on a float through the streets of Bongo, displaying placards to raise awareness of rabies prevention and responsible animal handling. The theme of the observance was “Stronger Together.”
The GHS collaborated with Bongo Junior High School, the District Assembly, Veterinary Services, and Environmental Health officers to educate the public on rabies prevention and the appropriate action to take following dog bites. Madam Asobuno described the number of reported cases as alarming and noted that there could be more unreported cases.
Madam Asobuno urged residents to ensure that their dogs were vaccinated and to seek immediate medical attention after being bitten by an animal suspected of carrying rabies. She noted that although the GHS had arrangements to supply anti-rabies vaccines for humans, shortages could occur, and patients might have to purchase the vaccines privately at a high cost.
The human anti-rabies vaccine could cost between GH¢800 and GH¢1,000 on the open market. However, residents could have their dogs vaccinated through the Veterinary Services Department at a reduced cost of about GH¢30. Madam Asobuno emphasized that early intervention was critical in preventing rabies deaths.
Madam Asobuno warned that the incubation period of rabies could last for several months, and an infected person could develop symptoms even after the bite wound had healed. She cautioned that symptoms such as aggressive behavior, abnormal barking, and headaches could indicate the onset of the disease, at which stage vaccination would no longer be effective.
Key points
- The GHS recorded five rabies deaths in Bongo District, four of them children, amid 115 reported dog-bite cases.
- The District Disease Control Officer urged residents to vaccinate their dogs and seek immediate medical attention after dog bites.
- The human anti-rabies vaccine could cost between GH¢800 and GH¢1,000 on the open market, while dog vaccination costs about GH¢30.
