Mozambique: Over 9,000 dog bites recorded, 14 people die from rabies in H1

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Mozambique: Over 9,000 dog bites recorded, 14 people die from rabies in H1

4:44 CAT | 29 Sep 2025

File - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

Mozambican authorities have recorded more than 9,000 cases of dog bites, resulting in 14 deaths from rabies, in the first six months of the year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries announced on Monday, acknowledging improvements to the problem.

“Up to the first half of this year, 9,133 bites and 14 deaths were recorded,” the ministry said in a statement referring to the celebrations of World Day to Combat Rabies, which took place today in Maputo province.

According to the document, the celebration of the date “is an opportunity to reinforce community awareness actions on the importance of vaccinating dogs and cats,” in addition to “promoting epidemiological surveillance and access to post-exposure prophylaxis, with a view to preventing the transmission of the rabies virus and avoiding deaths in humans.”

In comparative terms, according to the same data, cases of dog bites in Mozambique are tending to decline, with 22,184 cases recorded in 2023, resulting in 35 deaths from rabies, compared to 19,979 cases in 2024, resulting in 31 deaths.

“Despite a downward trend in cases, rabies continues to pose a serious threat to public health, especially for children under the age of 15,” the authorities said.

The director of the National Health and Biosafety Agency, Antónia Vaz, said today in Maputo that rabies is considered endemic and is one of the priority zoonoses (diseases which can be transmitted to humans from animals), and is therefore included in the national strategic plan for the control of zoonoses.

She explained that Mozambique is part of the global fight for zero rabies by 2030, which is why the government has been making efforts to acquire animal rabies vaccines for the vaccination of dogs and cats.

“Rabies is a disease that is distributed worldwide, but 99% of cases occur in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where dogs are most involved in the transmission of this disease,” said Vaz, stressing that the desire to live with dogs must be aligned with responsibilities that ensure safety, including registration, guaranteed health care and, above all, vaccination of animals.

“Rabies is a communicable disease with fatal consequences,” she warned.

The World Rabies Day celebrations in Mozambique also involve educational and awareness-raising activities, including lectures and theatre plays, among others.

Source: Lusa