Over 50,000 bitten by dogs in two years, says minister

By Auther Chimbgwa

Over 50,000 people were bitten by dogs in 2023 and 2024 while 13,537 have been bitten by the canine animals between January and June this year, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora has told parliament.

Since January this year, 7,938 bites were inflicted by dogs whose vaccination status was unknown while 2,852 were due to unvaccinated dogs and 2,696 by vaccinated dogs.

“Deaths so far recorded are two due to rabies and one as a result of mauling,” Mombeshora told legislators this past Wednesday.

He had been asked by Emakhandeni-Luveve MP Discent Collins Bajila to furnish the house with statistics on human deaths and injuries resulting from dog attacks and government’s plans to mitigate the challenge.

In 2024, the country recorded 30,363 dog bites and a total of nine deaths due to rabies.

Of these, 17,819 were by dogs whose vaccination status were unknown, 5,878 by unvaccinated dogs and 6,457 by vaccinated dogs.

During that year, three fatalities were due to rabies while four were due to mauling.

“For your information, once one has rabies, the end result is death. There is no cure for rabies, but it can be prevented through vaccination of dogs and those bitten by a rabid dog or animal, can receive preventive vaccination before the disease sets in,” said minister Mombeshora.

In 2023, said the minister, a total of 26,273 dog bites were recorded.

Of these, 15,474 were due to dogs whose vaccination status was unknown, 5,050 were by unvaccinated dogs and 5,393 were due to vaccinated dogs.

“There were 13 deaths recorded due to rabies. Additionally, three people succumbed to injuries due to mauling,” said the minister, adding that Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South have the least number of dog bites.

Mombeshora said the high number of attacks by unvaccinated dogs by dogs whose vaccination status was unknown was caused by that there is a big number of stray dogs in Zimbabwean communities, either owned or without homes.

He said measures put in place to avoid dog bites included the enforcement of council bylaws regarding dogs, limiting the keeping of dogs by households and per yard size as well as keeping dogs in a fenced or protected areas.

Another measure is limiting the population of stray dogs as well as urging citizens to desist from provoking dogs.

Vaccination of all dogs, said the minister, is of top priority as well.

Mombeshora said his ministry was working with that of Agriculture to encourage dog owners to vaccinate the animals so that the spread of rabies is reduced.

“In urban areas, we work with the local authorities,” he said.

“Our duty is to inform them and make sure that they comply with their own city regulations that all stray dogs are destroyed and all dogs that are kept are vaccinated.

“Dogs are supposed to have tags but we find that most of these regulations are not being followed.

“So, it is a matter of actually implementing the policies that already exist and we will be able to make sure that people do not get these dog bites.”

Zanu PF Gutu South Member of Parliament Pupurai Togarepi raised concern over the cost of the vaccine in the country.

Each vaccine costs US$30, and one is required to take three doses when they are bitten by dogs.

Togarepi urged the government to introduce cheaper or subsidised vaccines.