The struggle in the attempt to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies in Nigeria by 2030: a retrospective study from 2020 to 2023

INTRODUCTION: Dog-mediated human rabies is targeted for elimination by the year 2030. We determined the national antirabies vaccination prevalence as well as the demographic features of vaccinated dogs in Nigeria. METHODS: we conducted a retrospective study on antirabies-vaccinated dogs in Nigeria from March 2020 to June 2023. Nationwide data of vaccinated dogs were obtained from National Animal Disease Information and Surveillance (NADIS) and extracted; State, number of dogs vaccinated, sex, breed, purpose of dog keeping, and challenges. Data obtained were collated and analysed using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: a total of 185,109 dogs were vaccinated against rabies with a national vaccination prevalence of 4.1%. Niger State had the highest number of vaccinated dogs with 14.3% (26,446). Overall, the number of identified sex of vaccinated dogs was 116,777; 63,188 (54.1%) males and 53,589 (45.9%) females. Local breeds were 86.4% while exotic breeds were 13.6%. The ratio of vaccinated exotic breeds of dogs to the local breeds was 1: 6.4. Main purpose of dog keeping identified were dogs used for hunting/guard (32.5%) and dogs kept for the guard (27.4%). Some of the challenges during the vaccination exercises were low-risk perception of the disease which led to low vaccination turnout; tearing off of vaccine labels from the vaccine vials which made it difficult or impossible to properly affix the labels to the vaccination certificate; limited logistics; some hard-to-reach areas requiring more funding and logistics for cold chain maintenance and transportation. A lot of data was missing from the data submitted to NADIS; ranging from sex, purpose of dog keeping, and breed of dog. Meanwhile, the age of vaccinated dogs was completely absent from the NADIS data. CONCLUSION: antirabies vaccination is vital for the elimination of rabies by 2030 in Nigeria. There is underreporting of antirabies vaccination in the country. We recommend standardization of vaccination forms and training of data collectors to eliminate inconsistencies in data reporting and capture necessary variables of the dog population. There is a need for continuous sensitization and awareness creation for dog owners on the need for routine antirabies vaccination of their dogs.