| dc.description.abstract | Background:
Despite the annual commitment to procure 500,000 rabies vaccine doses and
distributing them to districts freely on request, Uganda still grapples with a low dog vaccination
coverage of about 10%. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing dog vaccination
in Kyegegwa, a rural district in Uganda.
Methods:
A mixed methods approach was used in this study. Four different vaccination
strategies namely; static point, school-based, integrated dog vaccination with human health
services, and integrated dog with livestock vaccination strategies were rolled out in twelve
selected parishes. Each of the strategies was conducted in the three parishes of the same sub- county. Vaccination coverage was estimated using transect and household surveys, analyzed
with a Bayesian model. Eight key informant interviews and twelve pre/post-vaccination focus
group discussions were conducted with opinion leaders, farmers, and dog owners from 12
randomly selected parishes. Transcribed audios were managed using Nvivo version 12 data
management software. Insights on barriers, facilitators, and feasibility of dog vaccination
campaigns were gathered and analyzed thematically.
Results:
Barriers to dog vaccination included inconsiderate ownership, difficulty managing
aggressive dogs, long distances, poor campaign and mobilization planning, and limited
resources. Facilitators were free vaccination and veterinary team commitment. School-based
vaccination strategy achieved a coverage at 40.3% [CrI: 38.4-41.6], integrated dog with human
health services at 62.6% [CrI:48.8-72.6], static point at 35.6% [CrI: 26.3-43.9] and integrated
dog with livestock strategy at 44.6% [CrI: 33.3-54.1].
Conclusion:
The integrated dog and human health services achieved the highest vaccination
coverage overall and consistent across the 3 parishes. Barriers like difficulty to handle
aggressive dogs, many roaming dogs, poor mobilization, competing activities, long distances
and logistical challenges hindered broader coverage, while free vaccination and committed
veterinary teams facilitated success. Pilot campaign strategies proved feasible, but the study
yielded inconclusive evidence regarding strategy effectiveness. Free of charge campaigns, active
community involvement and integrating mobilization efforts between human and animal
healthcare workers hold promise for improving coverage. Replicating the study under similar
conditions is necessary to identify consistency of effectiveness of vaccination strategies. | en_US |
