Free rabies jabs for 25,000 dogs and cats as Ghana targets high-risk areas
The Veterinary Services Department says vaccinations will be free throughout September in identified high-risk areas, before prescribed fees resume.
Ghana’s Veterinary Services Department has begun a campaign to vaccinate 25,000 dogs and cats against rabies in areas it has identified as high-risk.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture says the vaccinations will be free throughout September 2026. Prescribed fees will apply after that, making this month the period for eligible pet owners to access the service without paying.
The ministry has not named the high-risk areas or provided vaccination dates and locations in its statement, issued on 14 September. Pet owners will need those details to know where to take their animals.
The campaign forms part of Ghana’s stated goal of ending human deaths caused by dog-mediated rabies by 2030. It is also being held during World Rabies Month, alongside public education through schools, religious institutions, traditional and social media, and community outreach.
The department is urging owners to vaccinate their dogs and cats annually. It also advises anyone bitten or scratched by an animal to go immediately to the nearest health facility and report the animal involved to a veterinary centre.
In its statement, the department warned that rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms develop, but can be prevented through vaccination. It said failure to vaccinate a pet may constitute an offence under applicable local assembly by-laws; it did not specify which by-laws or areas this applies to.
Public education messages will be shared in Twi, Ga, Ewe and Hausa. The department has also asked local assemblies, civil society groups and other partners to support the campaign with vaccines, logistics and community mobilisation.
For enquiries about the campaign, the ministry provided 055 333 9667 as a call or WhatsApp contact.