By Wilber Tumutegyereize, Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: Makerere University has officially launched the Tracking Trails project, a multinational research initiative aimed at understanding the movement patterns of dogs and their role in disease transmission, with a particular focus on rabies. The project, which brings together experts and students from Uganda, Chad, India, Indonesia, and Switzerland, marks a significant milestone in international One Health collaboration, combining epidemiology, ecology, veterinary science, and socio-cultural research to address the global challenge of dog-mediated diseases.
The project was officially inaugurated at Makerere University in Kampala, with a ceremony attended by national and international partners, district representatives, and local community leaders. Dr. Salome Dürr, one of the principal investigators from the University of Bern, delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of understanding dog movement and its implications for public and animal health. “While rabies is a major concern due to its fatal nature, this project will not focus on rabies alone. We aim to investigate broader health risks associated with dog mobility, including the spread of other infectious diseases,” she said.
Uganda: A Strategic Launchpad
Uganda has been selected as the first host country for the project, with subsequent expansions planned for Chad, India, and Indonesia. The choice reflects Uganda’s unique position as a country with both rural and urban dog populations, a mix of community practices, and an ongoing national effort to eliminate rabies. The initiative will be implemented in five districts: Kyegegwa, Masaka, Arua, Soroti, and Kampala. Each district presents distinct ecological and socio-cultural settings, offering the research team an opportunity to study dog movement in diverse contexts, from dense urban areas to remote rural villages.
Dr. Terence Odotch, the local principal investigator at Makerere University, highlighted the importance of capacity building alongside scientific research. “Our engagement with postgraduate students, including master’s and PhD candidates, ensures that the project will contribute to both research excellence and professional development in veterinary medicine, public health, and One Health,” he said. Dr. Odotch emphasized the project’s dual role: generating actionable evidence for disease control while training the next generation of public health and veterinary professionals.
A Multidisciplinary Approach
The Tracking Trails project stands out for its multidisciplinary approach. Beyond traditional epidemiological studies, it integrates ecological research, behavioral studies, genomics, and socio-cultural investigations. Researchers aim to answer critical questions such as: Why do dogs move? How do human communities interact with them? What movement patterns facilitate disease spread, and what interventions could effectively mitigate risks?
Dr. Dürr stressed that dogs are not just vectors of disease; they are also deeply embedded in local communities. Understanding their behavior, social structures, and interactions with humans and other animals is essential to designing humane and effective interventions. “This is not simply a matter of counting dogs or vaccinating them. It’s about understanding the complex network of relationships that drive their behavior and their impact on human and animal health,” she explained.
Country Perspectives: Chad, India, and Indonesia
The project draws upon rich country-specific insights, reflecting the diversity of challenges posed by free-roaming dogs.
In Chad, Professor Fayiz Abakar stressed the critical role dogs play in both rural and urban communities. Chad is a vast country, much of it desert, with a significant portion of the population practicing nomadic pastoralism. Dogs are essential for herding, hunting, and protection, but their mobility also presents challenges for rabies control. Professor Abakar noted that while most dogs have owners, they move freely, making vaccination campaigns logistically complex. “Effective rabies control requires a One Health approach, integrating public health, veterinary services, and livestock management,” he said. Past campaigns in N’Djamena demonstrated that free vaccination programs could achieve over 70% coverage, while cost-based approaches drastically reduce participation. These findings underscore the importance of accessibility and community engagement in disease prevention.
India faces a different set of challenges, according to Dr. Harish Tiwari. With an estimated 60 million dogs, India has the highest number of human rabies deaths globally, almost all traced to free-roaming dogs. Despite the spiritual reverence for dogs in Indian mythology and religion, the reality today reflects uncontrolled breeding, abandonment, and inadequate shelter infrastructure. “In India, we have a paradoxical relationship with dogs. They are spiritually significant, yet many are neglected due to irresponsible ownership, indiscriminate reproduction, and preference for imported breeds,” Dr. Tiwari explained.
Research in India reveals striking behavioral differences between rural and urban dogs. Rural dogs have smaller home ranges, maintain closer ties to humans, and often serve practical purposes such as guarding livestock. Urban dogs, in contrast, travel greater distances, form packs, and depend on unstable food sources, often scavenging in garbage-rich urban environments. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these dynamics, with increased dog abandonment and a reported rise in aggression among street dogs. GPS tracking studies in regions such as Uttarakhand and Assam are beginning to reveal detailed movement patterns, supporting disease surveillance, genomic studies, and movement ecology research through initiatives like Tracking Tails
Indonesia presents yet another complex scenario, highlighted by Dr. Ewaldus Wera. The archipelagic nation, home to 250 million people across 70,000 islands, has been grappling with rabies since 1889. Rabies is endemic in 26 of 38 provinces, with dogs as the primary vector, causing 80,000–85,000 annual human cases and approximately 150 deaths, mostly in the eastern islands. Cultural practices shape dog ownership, with functional needs such as hunting and guarding often outweighing religious restrictions. Research in Flores Island revealed urban dogs prefer roads as their habitat, while rural dogs occupy open areas, demonstrating habitat adaptation. The Tracking Tails project will focus on four islands—Flores, West Timor, Lombok —examining socio-cultural and ecological factors that influence dog populations and rabies risk. Many rural areas are accessible only by foot or high-clearance vehicles, highlighting the logistical challenges of fieldwork.
Rabies: A Global Challenge.
Rabies remains one of the deadliest zoonotic diseases, responsible for tens of thousands of human deaths worldwide each year. Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost universally fatal, yet it is entirely preventable with timely post-exposure vaccination. Uganda has made strides in rabies control, particularly in Northern Uganda, where vaccination campaigns and public awareness initiatives have reduced disease prevalence. However, achieving elimination requires sustained efforts, coordinated policies, and cross-border collaboration.
Dr. Alfred Wejuri of Uganda’s Ministry of Health emphasized the importance of the One Health framework in tackling rabies. “Rabies is one of many zoonotic diseases contributing to over 60% of emerging infections affecting humans. Effective control requires communication, coordination, and collaboration across sectors, and real-time information sharing will support outbreak response and planning,” he said. Wejuri also called for capacity-building opportunities for Ministry personnel, emphasizing that future training initiatives under the project should include government staff actively involved in One Health programs.
Community Engagement and Socio-Cultural Insights
A unique aspect of Tracking Trails is its emphasis on socio-cultural drivers of dog movement. Dogs are not simply vectors of disease; they are members of local communities, and their interactions with humans shape the risks they pose. In India, for example, dogs feature prominently in mythology, religion, and folklore, yet modern urban realities have created a paradoxical situation where reverence does not translate into adequate care or management.
Similarly, in Indonesia, dog ownership is influenced by both religion and functional necessity. Muslim communities, which predominate in the country, often keep dogs for guarding or hunting, highlighting the adaptability of cultural norms to local livelihood needs. Understanding these cultural and social dynamics is essential for designing interventions that are both effective and socially acceptable.
Technological Innovations: Tracking Dog Movements
The project employs innovative technological methods to track dog movement and behavior. GPS collars are being deployed to map the movement patterns of free-roaming dogs in diverse environments, from urban streets to remote rural villages. These devices provide real-time data on roaming distances, pack behavior, habitat use, and interactions with humans and other animals. In India, preliminary tracking in tea gardens has revealed complex patterns of movement, with some dogs covering large distances while others remain highly localized.
This data not only informs disease surveillance but also supports genomic research, helping scientists understand population structure, gene flow, and the potential for disease transmission across regions. By combining ecological data with socio-cultural insights, the project aims to create a holistic picture of dog dynamics, offering actionable information for public health authorities and policymakers.
Capacity Building and Academic Growth
The Tracking Trails project is also a platform for training the next generation of public health and veterinary professionals. Makerere University has engaged postgraduate students, while partner institutions are contributing expertise and research opportunities. Students are involved in fieldwork, data collection, laboratory analysis, and community engagement, gaining hands-on experience in One Health approaches.
Professor James Achai, representing the Vice-Chancellor of Makerere University, highlighted the project’s role in advancing research capacity and professional development. “Projects like Tracking Trails not only generate valuable scientific evidence but also provide our students with the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to lead future public health initiatives,” he said. Achai emphasized that international collaborations strengthen Uganda’s capacity to respond to zoonotic diseases and enhance the university’s global research reputation.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite its promise, the Tracking Trails project faces significant challenges. Free-roaming dog populations are often difficult to monitor, and logistical constraints—such as remote field sites accessible only by foot or specialized vehicles—complicate data collection. Cultural sensitivities, language barriers, and community engagement require careful planning and respect for local norms.
Nevertheless, the project presents unprecedented opportunities for research and impact. By integrating epidemiology, genomics, behavioral science, and socio-cultural analysis, it offers a comprehensive understanding of dog-mediated disease risks. Insights gained from Uganda, Chad, India, and Indonesia can inform national and international rabies control strategies, guide vaccination campaigns, and support evidence-based policymaking.
Global Collaboration and One Health Impact
The launch of Tracking Trails exemplifies the power of global collaboration in addressing public health challenges. By linking universities, governments, and local communities across multiple continents, the project demonstrates the value of sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise. It aligns with the One Health approach, recognizing that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected.
Dr. Dürr emphasized the broader vision of the project: “Rabies knows no borders. Dogs move across villages, cities, and countries. To protect human and animal health, we must work together, combining science, culture, and policy to create sustainable solutions.”
As Tracking Trails progresses, the project team will continue to collect and analyze data, refine methodologies, and expand collaborations. The ultimate goal is to develop effective, human, and culturally sensitive strategies for managing free-roaming dog populations, reducing the incidence of rabies, and strengthening One Health systems worldwide.
The initiative also underscores the importance of public awareness and community engagement. By involving local populations in data collection, vaccination campaigns, and education programs, the project fosters a sense of shared responsibility and empowerment. Communities become active partners in disease prevention, rather than passive recipients of interventions.
