Basic schoolchildren in Bono Region educated on rabies prevention

Limited knowledge about the effective management of dog bites resulted in the death of a 16-year-old boy in Duabuobasi Number One, a community in the Jaman North District of the Bono Region early this year.  

The boy was bitten by a violent-looking, free-roaming dog on his way from the farm. 

According to his elder brother, when he started feeling uncomfortable around where the bite was, he applied grounded kola and other local herbs.

However, after some months, he complained about severe headaches and a high fever among other conditions and he was taken to the Jaman North District Hospital.

There, he was diagnosed with rabies after he showed the manifestation of symptoms of the disease. He passed away a few days later. 

Poor understanding

According to the District Veterinary Officer, Paul Dabuo, this incident is evidence of poor understanding of the severity of dog bites, non-reporting of dog bite cases to health facilities, as well as heavy reliance on local herbs for the treatment of dog bites and prevention of rabies in animals and humans among community members.

This came to light during an orientation of headteachers, district and school-based health education coordinators, School Improvement Support Officers (SISOs) and other district officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES) on dog bites and rabies prevention held in the Jaman North and nine other districts of the Bono Region last month.

The rabies prevention orientation programme resulted in strengthening the capacity of 542 educationists as trainers in rabies prevention to lead the education of basic school children, their teachers, their parents and other stakeholders within the school environment in 225 basic schools.

Officials of the Veterinary Services Department (VSD) and One Health Partners provided technical support to the programme in all 10 districts.

The basic schools rabies prevention education campaign, organised by the Communication Initiatives for Change (CIC), in partnership with the GES School Health Education Programme (SHEP), Veterinary Services Directorate and Boehringer Ingelheim  (BI) Animal Health France, echoed one of the key components of the 2024 World Rabies Day theme: “Breaking Rabies Barriers”, which emphasises breaking the boundaries of limited public knowledge and disease perceptions, correct misconceptions, change perceptions and facilitate a broader understanding of rabies among students, their teachers and parents.

Zoonotic diseases

Commenting on the programme, Philip Adom Danso, the District Education Director for Dormaa East, remarked, “As the Head of the Education Directorate and a parent, I truly appreciate initiatives like this that prioritise our children's safety by letting them know the dangers of rabies and the importance of living and interacting with animals safely.”

The basic school’s rabies prevention education campaign in the Bono Region has now moved into its second phase of training head teachers, district and school-based health education coordinators, SISOs, with others in the various districts implementing their action plans in ensuring children in all basic schools in the ten districts receive the right information on rabies prevention.  

“In these days when zoonotic diseases such as rabies, Mpox, etc. continue to threaten lives, it is just proper that collaborations with veterinary officials, school authorities and pharmaceutical companies such as BI Animal Health France are strengthened to ensure the appropriate prevention information reaches our children,” remarked Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Executive Director, Communication Initiatives for Change.