K43TW012582
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Improving dog vaccinations: A development and feasibility study to pave the way for effective, synchronized dog vaccination campaigns in Africa.
Dog-mediated human rabies has the highest case fatality rate of any known disease and kills approximately 59,000 people annually, particularly in Asia and Africa, where people are infected following bites from rabid dogs.
Vaccination of at least 70% of the dog population is 100% effective in preventing the spread of rabies to humans.
However, achieving 70% coverage can be difficult across large geographic areas.
Traditional dog vaccination in East Africa involves teams of vaccinators moving village-to-village across a district.
Under this team-lead approach, campaigns last 30 to 60 days depending on available personnel and geography.
Although this approach sometimes works, its execution at scale is challenging, expensive, and time-consuming.
The objective of the proposed research is to carry out an implementation trial to investigate the potential of synchronized dog vaccinations, which have been highly successful in Latin America.
Such synchronized campaigns could benefit massively from a coordinated mass media campaign in the lead-up before the vaccination day.
We will investigate whether combined media and synchronized campaigns can improve vaccination coverage.
Our first hypothesis is that synchronized campaigns will increase dog owners’ participation in MDV.
Our second hypothesis is that synchronized campaigns will lead to a large number of dogs being vaccinated, resulting in a reduction in the overall delivery cost.
Our final hypothesis is that synchronized MDV delivery will result in improved public health outcomes and achieve elimination more rapidly than standard team-led MDV.
Dog vaccination will be carried out in six districts in a 3-arms implementation trial (2 districts per arm).
We will compare (I) vaccination coverage, (II) cost per dog vaccinated, and (III) health impacts in Arm A: team-led delivery (which is logistically challenging and results in irregular coverage, at cost), versus Arm B: synchronized campaigns without media intervention, and Arm C: synchronized campaigns and media intervention.
With a date of 2030 set by WHO/OIE/FAO for the global elimination of dog-mediated human rabies, these results are needed to guide elimination in dog-rabies endemic countries.
Dog-mediated human rabies has the highest case fatality rate of any known disease and kills approximately 59,000 people annually, particularly in Asia and Africa, where people are infected following bites from rabid dogs.
Vaccination of at least 70% of the dog population is 100% effective in preventing the spread of rabies to humans.
However, achieving 70% coverage can be difficult across large geographic areas.
Traditional dog vaccination in East Africa involves teams of vaccinators moving village-to-village across a district.
Under this team-lead approach, campaigns last 30 to 60 days depending on available personnel and geography.
Although this approach sometimes works, its execution at scale is challenging, expensive, and time-consuming.
The objective of the proposed research is to carry out an implementation trial to investigate the potential of synchronized dog vaccinations, which have been highly successful in Latin America.
Such synchronized campaigns could benefit massively from a coordinated mass media campaign in the lead-up before the vaccination day.
We will investigate whether combined media and synchronized campaigns can improve vaccination coverage.
Our first hypothesis is that synchronized campaigns will increase dog owners’ participation in MDV.
Our second hypothesis is that synchronized campaigns will lead to a large number of dogs being vaccinated, resulting in a reduction in the overall delivery cost.
Our final hypothesis is that synchronized MDV delivery will result in improved public health outcomes and achieve elimination more rapidly than standard team-led MDV.
Dog vaccination will be carried out in six districts in a 3-arms implementation trial (2 districts per arm).
We will compare (I) vaccination coverage, (II) cost per dog vaccinated, and (III) health impacts in Arm A: team-led delivery (which is logistically challenging and results in irregular coverage, at cost), versus Arm B: synchronized campaigns without media intervention, and Arm C: synchronized campaigns and media intervention.
With a date of 2030 set by WHO/OIE/FAO for the global elimination of dog-mediated human rabies, these results are needed to guide elimination in dog-rabies endemic countries.
Funding Goals
THE JOHN E. FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER (FIC) SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING TO REDUCE DISPARITIES IN GLOBAL HEALTH AND TO FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN U.S. SCIENTISTS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS ABROAD. FIC SUPPORTS BASIC BIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH, AS WELL AS RELATED RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. THE RESEARCH PORTFOLIO IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT A WIDE VARIETY OF FUNDING MECHANISMS TO MEET PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVES.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Tanzania
Geographic Scope
Foreign
Related Opportunity
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 100% from $93,127 to $186,254.
The Registered Trustees Of The Ifakara Health Institute was awarded
Enhancing Dog Vaccinations for Rabies Elimination in Africa
Project Grant K43TW012582
worth $186,254
from Fogarty International Center in September 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Tanzania.
The grant
has a duration of 5 years and
was awarded through assistance program 93.989 International Research and Research Training.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Emerging Global Leader Award (K43 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 8/20/25
Period of Performance
9/19/24
Start Date
8/31/29
End Date
Funding Split
$186.3K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$186.3K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to K43TW012582
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
K43TW012582
SAI Number
K43TW012582-2940839479
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
Non-Domestic (Non-U.S.) Entity
Awarding Office
75NF00 NIH Fogarty International Center
Funding Office
75NF00 NIH Fogarty International Center
Awardee UEI
FCF3T2JYJNB3
Awardee CAGE
SPV95
Performance District
Not Applicable
Modified: 8/20/25