Too many snakebites, needless deaths

SNAKEBITES are claiming thousands of lives across Nigeria every year, yet the deadly public health threat continues to attract far less attention than it deserves. This neglect is unacceptable. A country that allows thousands of its citizens to die annually from a largely preventable and treatable condition is failing in one of its most basic responsibilities.

A recent report by the Toxinological Society of Nigeria estimates that the country records about 43,000 snakebite cases annually, resulting in approximately 2,000 deaths and more than 1,700 amputations.

These are staggering figures, representing not only an enormous loss of lives but also needless disabilities, economic hardship and shattered families.

Worse, there is little evidence of a coordinated national response commensurate with the scale of the crisis.

At a national training workshop on snakebite handling, treatment and management held recently in Lagos, medical expert Abubakar Ballah identified the carpet viper as responsible for about 66 per cent of snakebite deaths in Nigeria.

Other common venomous species include the black-necked spitting cobra, Egyptian cobra and Mali cobra.

The identification of the principal killers should provide a clear basis for targeted prevention, research and treatment. Unfortunately, the health authorities have yet to demonstrate the urgency this threat demands.

The crisis is not peculiar to Nigeria. The World Health Organisation estimates that 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes globally each year, with about 2.7 million developing clinical illness from venomous bites. Between 81,000 and 138,000 people die annually, while many survivors suffer permanent disabilities.

Mortality is lowest in Europe, Australia and North America but highest in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia.

India, for instance, records an estimated 2.8 million snakebites and more than 46,000 deaths annually. Across sub-Saharan Africa, up to one million people are bitten each year, with an estimated 20,000 deaths.

The WHO warns that the actual figures are likely higher because of widespread under-reporting. West Africa alone reportedly accounts for up to 5,450 deaths annually.

Behind these statistics are preventable tragedies. In February 2026, a 26-year-old Nigerian female soprano singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, reportedly died after being bitten by a snake in her Abuja home. The poisonous reptile was said to have emerged onto her bed and bitten her.

In a desperate attempt to contain the venom, she reportedly tied a rope tightly around her arm before seeking medical attention. This is a dangerous first-aid practice that can worsen the injury.

More tragically, the hospital she initially visited reportedly did not have antivenom. She was subsequently taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, where she received treatment, including antivenom, but died.

Her death sparked public outrage and prompted the Senate to demand mandatory antivenom stocking in hospitals. That demand was necessary, but it must not end as another parliamentary pronouncement without meaningful implementation.

No Nigerian should die simply because a hospital cannot provide the essential antidote to a potentially fatal snakebite.

The burden falls disproportionately on poor and vulnerable communities. Snakebites are particularly prevalent in rural farming settlements, especially across the northern savanna regions and the Benue and Niger valleys.

Farmers, herders, hunters, fishermen, working children, and people living in poorly constructed houses face heightened risks. Young children under five are especially vulnerable to fatal complications, while pregnant women face additional dangers, including haemorrhage and miscarriage.

The consequences of envenoming can be devastating. Depending on the species and venom involved, victims may suffer acute kidney injury, severe bleeding, tissue destruction, respiratory paralysis and permanent disability.

In some cases, delayed treatment can mean the difference between saving a limb and amputation, or between life and death.

Several factors compound the problem: inadequate antivenom supplies, poor environmental sanitation, weak emergency healthcare services, inadequate public awareness and the prohibitive cost of treatment.

Dirty surroundings, overgrown vegetation, rubbish dumps and uncontrolled rodent populations provide favourable conditions for snakes to thrive and move into human settlements.

Yet, even when victims survive the initial encounter, they face another formidable obstacle: access to affordable treatment. Specialised antivenoms, including EchitAb G for carpet viper bites and EchitAb Polyvalent for other venomous species, are essential to effective treatment.

But the reported cost of antivenom ranges from N45,000 to more than N250,000 per vial. Some patients require multiple vials, placing treatment beyond the reach of many rural households.

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The country’s dependence on imported antivenom from countries such as China, India and the United Kingdom further exposes the weakness of its healthcare preparedness.

Meanwhile, some private hospitals are reluctant to stock the drugs because of their cost, storage requirements and the possibility of expiration before use. The result is a dangerous situation in which victims may reach a hospital but still be unable to obtain the treatment they urgently need.

This is precisely why the government must intervene. Antivenom should not be treated as an ordinary commercial drug whose availability is left entirely to market considerations. It is an emergency lifesaving medicine that must be available in hospitals serving high-risk communities.

The federal and state governments should establish reliable procurement and distribution systems, ensure proper storage and make antivenom free or heavily subsidised for victims who cannot afford it.

More importantly, Nigeria must develop the capacity to produce antivenom locally. It is indefensible that a country with significant medical research institutions and universities should remain heavily dependent on foreign supplies for a treatment that claims thousands of its citizens every year.

Nigerian universities, research institutes and pharmaceutical manufacturers should be mobilised to develop local production capacity, supported by government funding, international partnerships and rigorous quality control.

There are useful lessons from countries that have made greater investments in snakebite prevention and management.

Australia, for example, has established antivenom supply systems across hospitals, backed by extensive venom research and snake venom detection kits that help clinicians identify the appropriate treatment.

India has also developed community-based snake rescue initiatives and digital platforms that connect residents with trained rescuers and experts.

In the United States, homeowners are encouraged to control rodents, clear vegetation and seal openings around buildings, while animal control services and specialist wildlife handlers help manage snake encounters.

Nigeria should adapt these interventions to its peculiar circumstances. Community-based snake rescue networks, emergency response contacts and public education campaigns can help prevent avoidable encounters and discourage people from killing snakes indiscriminately.

Community leaders, farmers’ associations, traditional rulers and local governments should be actively involved, particularly in high-risk rural settlements.

Public education must also address the dangerous myths surrounding snakebite first aid.

The WHO advises victims to move away from the snake, remain calm and still, remove rings, watches and tight clothing around the affected limb before swelling develops, and seek immediate medical attention.

The affected limb should be kept as still as possible, and the victim should be transported to a hospital equipped to administer appropriate antivenom.

People must be warned against tying ropes or tourniquets around affected limbs, cutting the wound, attempting to suck out venom or relying on unproven herbal remedies.

Such practices can worsen injuries and delay lifesaving treatment. Nor should victims waste precious time trying to capture or kill the snake. The priority must be prompt transportation to a properly equipped hospital.

Environmental sanitation is equally important. Households and communities should clear overgrown vegetation, dispose of refuse properly, control rodents and seal holes, drains and other openings through which snakes can enter homes.

Local governments should support these efforts through regular sanitation campaigns and effective waste management.

Ultimately, however, the responsibility rests heavily on government. It is not enough to issue public warnings after another high-profile death or make parliamentary demands that are forgotten once public attention shifts elsewhere. The authorities must translate concern into a properly funded national snakebite prevention and treatment programme.

This should include mandatory antivenom supplies in designated public hospitals, particularly in high-risk states; affordable emergency treatment; training for healthcare workers; reliable data collection; public awareness campaigns; and sustained investment in local antivenom research and production.

Snakebite deaths are not an unavoidable consequence of living in a tropical country. With adequate prevention, prompt diagnosis, appropriate antivenom and accessible emergency care, many of these deaths and amputations can be prevented.

Nigeria cannot continue to treat this crisis as a rural inconvenience or a misfortune suffered by poor farmers. Every life lost to an unavailable vial of antivenom is a damning indictment of a healthcare system that has failed to prepare for a known and recurring threat.

The snakes may be difficult to eliminate, but the needless deaths are not inevitable. What is missing is not a cure, but the political will to make lifesaving treatment accessible to those who need it.