Rabies in Mauritania: PhD thesis warns of a disaster
Written by: Ayman Ragab
A recent veterinary doctoral dissertation by Mauritanian researcher Mohamed Larbas Al-Hreim has revealed significant shortcomings in Mauritania’s rabies control system, most notably that 89% health facilities do not have the rabies vaccine available, a finding that raises concerns about the health system’s readiness to handle cases at risk of infection.
The thesis was discussed at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal, and it was titled: “Les limites socio-culturelles de la lutte contre la rage en Mauritanie (cas de Nouakchott),” aiming to assess the reality of rabies control in Mauritania and identify the most prominent health, social, and cultural obstacles limiting disease control.
Lack of specialized rabies control centers
The study’s results showed that 83% of health institutions do not have specialized rabies control centers, while 74% of animal health workers do not participate in epidemiological surveillance programs, and coordination between the human and veterinary health sectors does not exceed 9%.
The study also monitored the continued recourse of a number of animal bite victims to traditional healers instead of directly going to health facilities, in addition to weak awareness of first aid procedures, as many citizens are unaware that washing the wound immediately with soap and water is the first step that reduces the risk of rabies.
Difficulties in providing animal vaccines
The thesis affirmed that veterinarians face difficulties in providing animal vaccines, at a time when laboratories are suffering from a lack of capabilities and equipment necessary for disease diagnosis.
The researcher based his study on a sample of 428 participants, including citizens, physicians, veterinarians, and laboratory workers. He concluded that eradicating rabies is not limited to providing vaccines, but rather requires strengthening community awareness, improving coordination among various sectors, and adopting a “One Health” approach that unifies efforts in human health, animal health, and the environment.
Thesis recommendations
At the conclusion of the thesis, the researcher presented a set of recommendations, most notably: intensifying awareness campaigns in multiple local languages about disease transmission methods and post-exposure procedures, ensuring the continuous availability of rabies vaccines and immunoglobulins, and strictly enforcing legislation related to mandatory dog vaccination.
He also called for a comprehensive dog census, an expansion of mass vaccination campaigns to reduce disease transmission, and the development of effective stray dog management strategies. This includes developing a system for epidemiological surveillance, improving the case reporting system, and training healthcare professionals on post-exposure prophylactic treatment protocols, while strengthening cooperation among the various concerned sectors within joint monitoring and control mechanisms.
The results of this study come at a time when citizens and doctors continue to complain about the disappearance of the rabies vaccine from a number of health centers in Mauritania, amid increasing demands for the authorities to intervene urgently to ensure its availability and protect citizens from the dangers of this deadly disease.
