{
  "id": 7521659,
  "title": "VSD rolls out mass rabies vaccination",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/vsd-rolls-out-mass-rabies-vaccination",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-15T09:41:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/vsd-rolls-out-mass-rabies-vaccination/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD) has begun a mass vaccination campaign against rabies, targeting around 25,000 dogs and cats in high-risk regions throughout Ghana. The initiative, part of Rabies Awareness Month, aims to reduce human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. During the launch in Accra, Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Emmanuel Allegye-Cudjoe announced that vaccines would be distributed across all 16 regions, with a focus on Greater Accra, Ashanti, Upper East, Upper West, Western, and Western North due to reported rabies cases. The campaign, which runs through September, offers free or subsidized vaccinations to pet owners before fees apply. Dr Allegye-Cudjoe emphasized the importance of timely vaccination and appropriate care in preventing the highly preventable disease, which has no cure once symptoms appear. The Ghana Health Service's Acting Director of Health Promotion, Mrs Mabel Kissiwah Asafo, stressed that rabies remains a serious public health threat, and annual vaccination is required under Ghana's local government bye-laws. WHO representative Dr Sally-Ann Ohene commended Ghana's initiative and called for stronger collaboration among various sectors to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies.",
  "summary": "The Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD) has launched a mass rabies vaccination campaign targeting 25,000 dogs and cats in high-risk areas across the country. The exercise, which runs throughout September as part of activities marking Rabies Awareness Month, is expected to boost Ghana’s efforts to achieve zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. Speaking at … The post VSD rolls out…",
  "key_points": [
    "VSD initiates mass rabies vaccination campaign in Ghana.",
    "25,000 dogs and cats targeted in high-risk regions.",
    "Campaign runs through September with free/subsidized vaccinations."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}