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Culling dogs to control rabies in Uganda – an example of moral distress for a veterinary officer


Alobo, Grace; Kahunde, Mary Ann; Luyckx, Valerie; George Okech, Samuel; Semakula, Jerome Roy; Agaba, Denis; Hartnack, Sonja (2020). Culling dogs to control rabies in Uganda – an example of moral distress for a veterinary officer. Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift, 133(5/6):248-255.

Abstract

Domestic dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths – approximately 60,000 annually occurring mostly in Africa and Asia. The World Health Organisation and its partners declared “zero human deaths due to canine rabies by 2030” as a strategic goal. In the context of rabies control, an ethical case scenario from the perspective of a veterinary officer in Uganda is presented. A practice-oriented tool, Ropohl’s responsibility checklist, is applied to structure the individual responsibility of the veterinary officer according to the six core questions. This ethical deliberation was performed in a workshop following a participatory approach. Based on the ethical deliberation it becomes evident, that the case scenario could be potentially described by moral distress. We suggest that a better understanding of personal responsibility, including its extent and its limits, would help veterinary officers to better cope with difficult and challenging situations.

Abstract

Domestic dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths – approximately 60,000 annually occurring mostly in Africa and Asia. The World Health Organisation and its partners declared “zero human deaths due to canine rabies by 2030” as a strategic goal. In the context of rabies control, an ethical case scenario from the perspective of a veterinary officer in Uganda is presented. A practice-oriented tool, Ropohl’s responsibility checklist, is applied to structure the individual responsibility of the veterinary officer according to the six core questions. This ethical deliberation was performed in a workshop following a participatory approach. Based on the ethical deliberation it becomes evident, that the case scenario could be potentially described by moral distress. We suggest that a better understanding of personal responsibility, including its extent and its limits, would help veterinary officers to better cope with difficult and challenging situations.

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Additional indexing

Other titles:Das Keulen von Hunden zur Tollwutbekämpfung in Uganda – ein Beispiel für moral distress einer Amtstierärztin
Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:04 Faculty of Medicine > Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine
05 Vetsuisse Faculty > Chair in Veterinary Epidemiology
Dewey Decimal Classification:570 Life sciences; biology
610 Medicine & health
Scopus Subject Areas:Health Sciences > General Veterinary
Language:English
Date:2020
Deposited On:26 Jan 2021 16:02
Last Modified:25 Sep 2023 01:43
Publisher:Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft
ISSN:0005-9366
OA Status:Green
Free access at:Publisher DOI. An embargo period may apply.
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.2376/0005-9366-19052
  • Content: Published Version
  • Language: English