The United Kingdom's International Development has provided crucial support to Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture by donating rabies vaccines and veterinary reagents. This contribution is in line with a pledge made under the Animal Health Systems Strengthening Project, which aims to help Ghana achieve its goal of eliminating human deaths from rabies by 2030. The donation comes at a critical time, as between 2021 and 2023, 72 people in Ghana have tragically lost their lives due to rabies.

The World Health Organization reports that rabies is a global issue, affecting over 150 countries and causing around 60,000 human deaths annually. Dogs are the primary source of infection in most human rabies cases.

The Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr Paul Siameh receiving the items, emphasized the importance of facilitating the vaccination process to prevent these unnecessary deaths and ultimately eliminate rabies from Ghana. He therefore urged the Veterinary Services Directorate to make good use of the vaccines.

The Animal Health Systems Strengthening Project exemplifies the strong partnership between the United Kingdom and Ghana. Its objective is to improve Ghana's ability to prepare for, detect, and respond to known and emerging diseases, benefiting both human and animal health systems and the environment. This collaboration is a vital step towards strengthening Ghana's overall health security.