Snakebite Crisis: Experts Urge Investment in Local Antivenom Production
From Abubakar Rabilu, Gombe
The Toxinological Society of Nigeria (TSN) has urged the federal and state governments to prioritise investment in local antivenom production and upgrade healthcare facilities to stem the rising toll of snakebite cases in the country.
The appeal was contained in a communique issued by the Society’s Secretary-General, Dr. Mustapha Shehu Muhammad, at the close of its 2nd Annual General Meeting held from September 14 to 17 at Gombe State University.
The conference, themed “Exploring Indigenous Anti-Venom Development and Therapy in Nigeria: Policies, Challenges and Opportunities,” drew over 1,000 participants, including policymakers, clinicians, researchers, traditional leaders, and students.
Experts disclosed that Nigeria records about 43,000 snakebite cases annually, resulting in nearly 1,900 deaths, with children making up about 30 percent of the victims.
They blamed the high mortality rate on delayed treatment, the high cost of antivenom, and poor healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural communities.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abdulrazak Habib called for urgent collaboration between government and the private sector to develop indigenous antivenom, stressing that the current dependence on imported products was unsustainable and costly.
Participants also visited the Snakebite Treatment and Research Hospital in Kaltungo, describing it as overstretched and in dire need of expansion to cope with rising cases.
Among its recommendations, the Society proposed the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Venom, Antivenom and Natural Toxins Research in Gombe, as well as the upgrading of the Kaltungo facility into a fully equipped National Snakebite Hospital with modern equipment, surveillance systems, and enhanced training capacity.
The communique further urged the Gombe State Government to commit at least one percent of its internal revenue to snakebite response, including free antivenom distribution, and to integrate snakebite research and training into the curriculum of Gombe State University.
