SNAKEBITE ENVENOMING

Snakebite envenoming: 

• What is it? Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). In 2017, WHO, formally categorised “snakebite envenoming” as a Neglected Tropical Disease.
  
  
• Casualties: It affects 1.8–2.7 million people each year, claiming 81,000–1,38,000 lives and causing 4,00,000 cases of permanent disability.
  
  
• Key regions affected: Snake bite is a neglected public health issue in many tropical and subtropical countries. Most of these occur in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
  
  
• Treatment: Most deaths and serious consequences from snake bites are entirely preventable by making High quality snake antivenoms accessible. They are included in the WHO List of essential medicines.
  
  

WHO Global Strategy:

• Target: 50% reduction in mortality and disability caused by snakebite envenoming by 2030.
  
  
• Strategy: This target will be achieved through –
  • ensuring access to treatment such as anti-venoms and ancillary medical care by increasing the number of manufacturers by 25% and creating a global antivenom stockpile.
    
    
  • encouraging research on new treatments, diagnostics and health device breakthroughs.