FG can’t continue distributing anti snake venom for free – Oyediran

*Says, Nigeria records 20,000 cases of snake bites annually

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

Fatai Oyederan, Head Snakebite Envenoming Unit EchiTab Program with the department of public health, federal ministry of health has said that the federal government can no longer afford to distribute free anti snake venom to Nigerians.

Speaking during a media dialogue organised by the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in collaboration with the UNICEF in Ibadan, Oyo state, Oyederan revealed that Nigeria records at least 20,000 cases of snakebites annually.

According to him, Gombe State has the highest burden of snake bites ranging between 7,000 to 10, 000 annually, followed by Plateau State with about 3,000 to 5,000 cases.

While drawing the attention to the huge funding and Anti Snake Venom gap currently existing in the country, he lamented that the anti snake venom availability has been a challenge due to the dwindling budget in the past five years.

He said, ‘’on an annual basis, we have about 15,000 to 20,000 cases of snake bites in Nigeria, called in mostly within the Niger/Benue tropics. Gombe State has the highest burden of snake bites ranging between 7,000 to 10, 000 annually, followed by Plateau State with about 3,000 to 5,000 cases. We also have Nsukka, Saki and Sepeteri in Oyo states with a relatively high burden of snake bites.

‘’The anti snake venom availability has been a challenge due to the dwindling budget that we have been witnessing in the past five years. Only about 5,000 to 6,000 vials of venom is  procured by the federal ministry of health on an annual basis. This is quite low compared to the number of snakebite cases recorded yearly.

‘’The anti venoms procured by the federal government is distributed to the states free of charge, but because there is a huge gap between the number of cases and the anti venom available, we encourage state governments to also procure some vials of anti snake venom.

‘’Although States like Gombe, Plateau, Katsina have in the past procured very little quantity of vials to breach the gap, the federal government through the North East Intervention, provides some vials as a way of supporting us.

‘’Though it’s a product of joint research, the venoms are procured internationally. However, the federal government is taking some steps to address this by transferring the technology back to Nigeria to commence local production; the ministry has set up a project delivery team to help in fast tracking the local production of anti venoms and members of the team are drawn from the academia, government and private sector. The government is approaching this through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement’’.

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Oyediran who explained that snakebite was a neglected public problem in the rural communities of Africa and Nigeria in particular, stated that it remains a major medical problem in rural communities of the Savannah Region of West Africa.

Listing some of the affected countries to include Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina-Faso, Niger, Mali and Cameron, he added that the three most medically important snakes in Nigeria are Naja nigricolis (Cobra), Bitis arietans (Puff Adder) and Echis ocellatus (Carpet Viper) which is the world’s most dangerous snake, causing more deaths than any other snake on the African continent.

Speaking on the control of snakebite, Oyediran encouraged Nigerians to plant species of plants that repel snakes, discouraged the dumping of refuse near homes, rearing of animals and birds that are known to eat snakes.

He also recommended the need to close -up all unnecessary holes and set traps to suspected holes in and around the house, eliminate snake habitat and hiding places (wood piles, garden debris, cracks and holes) in living houses, keeps rodents (rats and mice) and other household pests which snake prey on under control, erect snake-proof fences 2-3 ft high wire meshes have been found to be effective and the use of snake repellants.

Oyediran also stated that naphthalene (camphor) can be spread around the perimeter of the house and in the event of snake threat; individuals should make noise that can scare off snake.

“Snake bite is an injury caused by a bite from a snake, often resulting in puncture wounds inflicted by the snake’s fangs and sometimes envenomation.   The outcome depends on factors which include the species of snake involved, area of the body bitten, amount of venom injected and the health condition of the victim.”

Tackling the problem in Nigeria, he identified inadequate funding and release, low awareness, lack of political will, poor data collection, and inadequate partner’s support, apart from WHO, N-SRIC, UNICEF among others as some of the challenges affecting proper control of the problem.