On July 15, 2025, the Ifakara Health Institute officially launched its new Improving Mass Dog Vaccination (MDV) project with a full-day stakeholder meeting in Morogoro. The five-year project, led by Principal Investigator, Dr. Maganga Sambo and funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), aims to transform how dog vaccination campaigns are planned and delivered in Tanzania – with the ultimate goal of eliminating rabies.

The meeting brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, academic institutions, veterinary experts, university students, community engagement specialists, and members of the media.

Why this matters
Rabies remains a deadly, neglected disease—causing tens of thousands of preventable deaths annually, mostly in Africa and Asia. Children under 15 make up 40% of these fatalities. By testing new approaches to dog vaccination, the Ifakara-led project could help increase vaccine coverage, reduce costs, and accelerate the path to rabies elimination. 

The project will also generate vital evidence to guide public health policy not just in Tanzania, but across Africa.

The big question
How can we design more effective and efficient dog vaccination campaigns that protect both humans and animals—and lead to the elimination of rabies?

Objective of the kick-off meeting
The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the project to key stakeholders, discuss the proposed implementation plan, anticipate potential challenges, and identify mitigation strategies. It also served to build shared ownership of the project and gather input from partners who will play a role in its success on the ground.

More about this
The project, titled A Development and Feasibility Study to Pave the Way for Effective, Synchronized Dog Vaccination Campaigns in Africa, is being implemented in three districts in Morogoro Region—Ulanga, Malinyi, and Ifakara from 2024 to 2029. 

It addresses the central question: How can we design better, more cost-efficient vaccination campaigns that encourage greater participation and lead to faster rabies elimination? To answer this, the study will use a cluster-randomized control trial with three implementation arms. 

Arm A will deliver traditional MDVs as a baseline. Arm B will carry out synchronized MDVs without media promotion, while Arm C will conduct synchronized campaigns supported by robust mass media strategies such as radio, TV, and printed materials. This staggered design allows the research team to assess the effect of synchronized delivery and media engagement on turnout, cost-effectiveness, and health outcomes.

The kick-off meeting served to present the study design, discuss the roles of different partners, anticipate potential challenges, and co-create mitigation strategies. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of clear community messaging and strong collaboration to ensure smooth implementation across the target areas.