Uganda: Four Reported Dead As Adjumani Grapples With Anti-Rabies Vaccine Shortage

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Nile Post report from Kampala dated July 27, 2026, reported that at least four people, mostly children, have reportedly died in Adjumani District after suspected dog bites. The deaths were reported in Arinyapi, Leanguru, Nyabila and Itirikwa sub-counties, amid concern that public health facilities have faced a prolonged shortage of anti-rabies vaccines.

Local officials and residents described rising anxiety in affected communities, particularly among families unable to pay for treatment at private clinics. Charles Edema Drabe, the LC I chairperson of Aliwara Village, told Nile Post that stray dog attacks had become more frequent, including a recent incident in Oruangwa Village in which seven people were attacked and later treated. A resident, Caesar Ingavure, said his son died last year after a suspected rabies exposure, and linked the risk to limited vaccine access at government facilities.

Adjumani Resident District Commissioner Swaib Toko said he had reported both the dog-bite incidents and the vaccine shortage to relevant authorities, and urged bite victims to seek care immediately, including at another public facility if their nearest one lacks vaccines. Toko and a District Veterinary Department official also used a Sunday Mass at Adjumani Catholic Parish to warn residents about stray dogs and encourage prompt reporting and treatment.

District officials said demand for anti-rabies vaccines has increased while government supplies remain inadequate. District Production Officer Godfrey Mamawi Ambayo said Adjumani had gone nearly two years without government anti-rabies vaccine stock, affecting dog vaccination efforts; authorities have reportedly killed about 70 stray dogs and may buy vaccines from the open market. District LC V Chairperson John Anyanzo Ambayo pledged to engage the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders.