Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 115 | Published: 14 Oct 2026
Kwabena Adjei Sarfo1,&, Williams Azumah Abanga2, Etowe Boye Yakubu3, Chrysantus Kubio3,4
1Savannah Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Damongo, Ghana, 2Saboba District Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Saboba, Ghana, 3Northern Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Tamale, Ghana, 4Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Kwabena Adjei Sarfo, Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Damongo, Ghana, Email: kwabenaadjeisarfo@gmail.com
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 14 Oct 2026
Domain: One Health, Zoonosis
Keywords: Dog bites, incidence, epidemiology, Northern Region, Ghana
©Kwabena Adjei Sarfo et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Kwabena Adjei Sarfo et al., Epidemiology of dog bite cases reported to health facilities, Northern Region, Ghana, 2016-2025. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):115. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-00115
Dog bite injuries are a significant public health concern. Dogs account for 76% to 94% of all animal bite injuries. Despite the public health importance of these injuries, national and regional data on dog bite injuries remain limited, and evaluating the current situation is essential for designing and implementing effective targeted interventions. This study assessed dog bite cases reported through health facilities in Ghana’s Northern Region.
We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using aggregated dog bite reports from the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS2) from 2016 to 2025. We extracted the data into Microsoft Excel, then cleaned and analyzed it. The variables included age, sex, year, district, season, and dog bites. We summarised the data using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and calculated incidence rate ratios using crude Poisson regression.
During the ten-year study period,1,808 dog bite cases were recorded, with an overall incidence of 8.3 per 100,000 (95% CI: 7.2 – 9.6). Cases were more common in males 58.5% (1,058/1,0808) and significantly higher than in females (IRR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.31–1.58). Cases were predominant among children aged 5-9 years, 22.3% (403/1,808). There was substantial variation across districts. Tamale Metropolis reported the highest number of cases, 55.9% (1,019/1,808). Most cases were reported in 2024, 17.7% (320/1,808) and in the dry season, 56.4% (1,019/1,808), (IRR: 2.26; 95% CI: 2.15–2.37).
Dog bites remain a significant public health issue in the Northern Region. Cases were predominant in men and children. Continued monitoring of dog bite trends and a one-health approach are fundamental to coordinating efforts among the Ghana Health Service, Veterinary Service, and local communities to implement interventions that prevent dog bites, with particular focus on males and children.
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