Nigeria on Sunday joined the global community to commemorate World Rabies Day with a renewed call for collective action to eliminate the deadly but preventable disease.
This year’s theme, “Act Now: You, Me, Community,” highlights the need for shared responsibility in fighting rabies, which continues to claim lives across the country.
According to global health estimates, rabies kills about 59,000 people annually, with Africa recording roughly 21,000 deaths. In Nigeria, between 1,000 and 2,000 deaths are reported each year, while children under 15 remain the most vulnerable.
Veterinary experts warn that more than 99% of human rabies cases are caused by dog bites, particularly from free-roaming and hunting dogs that act as bridges between wildlife and communities. They stressed that achieving at least 70% vaccination coverage of the dog population is critical to halting transmission, but gaps in vaccination campaigns have left many communities at risk.
Bala Muhammed, a Fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria (FCVSN), urged dog owners to take responsibility by vaccinating and containing their animals, while also calling on governments to provide funding for mass vaccination drives, sustain surveillance systems, and guarantee access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
He noted that timely wound washing and rapid referral for PEP save lives, but prevention through dog vaccination remains the most cost-effective strategy. “Ending rabies requires government support, community mobilization, and coordinated action between human and animal health services,” he said.
Stakeholders, including policymakers, NGOs, and community leaders, were also urged to expand education campaigns, fund free or subsidized vaccination, and integrate rabies prevention into schools and local programs.