Rabies research in Uganda - A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Public Health
• Zoonotic Disease Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Rabies is an endemic zoonotic disease in Uganda, posing a significant public health threat.
• Uganda aims to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030, but faces operational and financial challenges.
• A lack of a focused research agenda and funding hinders progress in rabies control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing rabies research in Uganda.
• To identify, categorize, and summarize current research on rabies.
• To highlight research gaps and inform future priorities for rabies control and elimination.

Main Methods:

• Followed PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines.
• Systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases.
• Included 26 original studies on rabies research conducted in Uganda.

Main Results:

• Most studies (15/26) were descriptive cross-sectional, focusing on human populations (21/26).
• Few studies (6/26) adopted a One Health approach; only two used molecular characterization, and one assessed vaccination coverage.
• No studies implemented integrated surveillance systems or economic evaluations for rabies control programs.

Conclusions:

• Critical research gaps exist in Uganda, particularly in intervention-based and longitudinal studies.
• Future research should focus on dog vaccination coverage, integrated surveillance, diagnostics, and economic evaluations.
• Addressing these gaps is crucial for understanding rabies transmission and strengthening control strategies.