Staff Writer
The directorate of veterinary services says Namibia is making progress in the fight against rabies.
However, the directorate said vaccination levels remain below the target needed to fully control the disease.
Chief veterinary officer Kenneth Kennedy Shoombe said vaccination campaigns have reached thousands of dogs across the country.
His remarks were delivered on his behalf by Magrecia Hausiku, a representative from his office, at the rabies project review and planning meeting held in Ondangwa this week.
Shoombe said the meeting reviewed progress and identified areas that need improvement.
He said Namibia vaccinated more than 157 000 dogs in 2024, covering about 61% of the dog population.
In 2025, around 124 000 dogs were vaccinated. Areas south of the veterinary cordon fence recorded more than 31 000 vaccinations, also reaching about 61% coverage.
He said the country has not yet reached the 70% vaccination target needed to control rabies.
Shoombe said progress has been supported by partners, including the Veterinary Association of Namibia, Have a Heart Namibia, the Cheetah Conservation Fund and the SPCA.
He said vaccination campaigns have led to a decline in rabies cases.
National positivity rates dropped below 10% in 2024. Some regions still report rates above 30%, especially where human deaths have occurred.
Shoombe said awareness campaigns reached more than 1 200 schools in the northern communal areas between 2022 and 2025, covering about 82% of schools.
Shoombe stated that challenges such as limited staff and competing disease programmes continue to affect progress. She called for stronger efforts to reach the 70% vaccination target and eliminate human deaths caused by dog-mediated rabies.
He said Namibia is working toward the global goal of zero human rabies deaths by 2030 and called for cooperation with Angola, as diseases cross borders.
At the same event, the Ministry of Health and Social Services has also called for stronger coordination across sectors.
The ministry’s deputy director Iyaloo Mwaningange said a One Health approach is needed to control rabies.
She said this approach brings together human, animal and environmental health sectors.
She said close interaction between people and animals increases the risk of rabies spreading.
Mwaningange said Namibia has made progress in controlling diseases such as malaria, HIV and tuberculosis, but rabies has received less attention.
Mwaningange said steps already in place include post-exposure treatment, preventive vaccines for high-risk groups and awareness campaigns in communities and schools.
She said the ministry continues to monitor cases and respond to outbreaks with veterinary services. She referred to a recent outbreak in seal colonies in the Erongo Region.
She said the project has received international support since 2016, but funding is nearing its end. She called for increased local funding to sustain progress.
Namibia has reduced human rabies deaths from about 23 cases to between one and two each year after years of vaccination and awareness campaigns.
Tenzin Tenzin from the World Organisation for Animal Health said the progress is linked to a rabies control programme launched in 2016.
He said the programme, funded by the German government and implemented by Namibia’s veterinary services with support from partners, started in the Oshana region before expanding to the northern communal areas.
He said vaccination coverage has increased from about 20% at the start to between 50% and 60%. Surveillance and awareness have also improved, and cases in animals have declined.
Tenzin said schools play a role in raising awareness among children, while local authorities help manage waste and control stray dog populations.
He said cross-border cooperation with Angola is important because infected dogs can move across borders.
The project will end in December. Tenzin said continued progress will depend on government leadership, vaccination efforts and stronger surveillance.
He called for better data sharing between veterinary and health authorities to support response efforts.
