New app boosts rabies vaccination rates

More people could be protected from rabies thanks to a new approach to dog vaccination that uses smartphone technology to spot areas of low vaccination coverage in real time.

Vets working with Mission Rabies used a smartphone app to help them halve the time it takes to complete dog vaccination programmes in the Malawian city of Blantyre. The custom-made app lets them quickly spot areas with low inoculation rates in real time, allowing them to jab more dogs more quickly, and with fewer staff.

Research showed that distance from drop-in centres was the biggest reason why owners did not get their dog vaccinated.

Data-driven approach

To overcome this, vets led by The University of Edinburgh and the charity Mission Rabies applied their data-driven approach using the app developed with the World Veterinary Service. The app allows the team to record data on vaccinations and access GPS locations.

The team increased the numbers of drop-in centres within around 800 metres of owners’ homes from 44 to 77 – a distance that its research indicated most owners were willing to walk.

In areas with low uptake, the team used “roaming”– vaccine stations quickly set up to serve localised areas with low vaccine coverage, such as at the end of a street. The vets also engaged with local communities and media to raise awareness of the scheme.

Potential

The vets targeted 70% of the city’s dog population – around 35,000 animals – and vaccinated them in 11 days, compared with 20 days using the previous approach. The scheme needed 904 staff days, as opposed to 1,719.

Researchers said the findings have the potential to not only benefit urban dog populations, but also farmers whose livestock is at risk of infection from dogs.

Lead researcher Stella Mazeri, veterinary epidemiologist at The University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: “Delivering vaccinations to at-risk populations in a highly efficient manner is a major societal challenge.

“Attempts to eliminate rabies remain under-funded, despite knowing that dog vaccination is a highly effective way to reduce the disease burden in both humans and dogs. We are pleased to see that the real-time interrogation of data has allowed us to improve the efficiency of vaccination clinics.”