The upgrade of the Kaltungo Snakebite Treatment Centre is commendable
With a mortality of 12 per cent, hundreds of Nigerians die annually from snakebites, yet authorities in the health sector have for years not taken the challenge seriously. For this reason, the approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to upgrade the Kaltungo Snakebite Treatment Centre into the National Snakebite Research and Medical Centre is a step in the right direction. It will be the first specialised snakebite research and treatment centre in Nigeria and the sub-region. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Pate confirmed that Nigeria records over 43,000 snakebite cases yearly, causing deaths, disabilities and severe socio-economic consequences. States with the most cases of snakebite in Nigeria are Gombe, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Nasarawa, Enugu, Kogi, Kebbi, Oyo, Benue, and Taraba.
But the snakebite issue is just part of a larger package of interventions in the health sector. To improve blood collection, storage and distribution nationwide, FEC also approved the procurement of 10 compressed natural gas-powered blood donation mobile clinics for the National Blood Service Agency. The country requires about 1.8 million units of blood annually but currently collects only about 25 to 30 per cent. The mobile clinics, according to Pate, would support maternal healthcare, trauma management, surgeries and cancer treatment across the six geopolitical zones. There were also approvals for procuring tuberculosis commodities to strengthen Nigeria’s response to one of the world’s highest TB burdens while reducing dependence on foreign donors and pave the way for local production of tuberculosis medicines. FEC equally approved the procurement of reproductive health and family planning commodities through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
While we commend all the initiatives, the intervention on snakebite is very significant. In 2011, the federal government promised to make Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) available and affordable but insisted on preventive strategies. That led to the establishment of the Nigeria/UK Echitab Study Group to research and develop ASV, while exploring ways of providing free treatment for snakebite victims. The inauguration of the structure that houses the Echitab Snakebite Control and Research Centre in Kaltungo (now upgraded) was part of the collaborative efforts aimed at finding lasting solutions to the menace of snakebite in the country. It has over the years developed three different brands of ASV, using venom extracted from local snakes purposely to address the Nigerian situation.
Earlier this year, the death of an Abuja-based rising singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, after she was bitten by a snake raised serious concerns about one of the most neglected public health problems in Nigeria today. Therefore, while the idea to increase research activities and prepare room for the development of ASV in the country is good, there is an urgent need for sustained public enlightenment, particularly among dwellers of rural communities. They should be told how to prevent snakebites and what to do as first aid when someone is bitten. As things stand, most health workers in Nigeria have little or no formal training in the management of snakebite. If properly treated, many snake bites will not have serious effects.
Since most of the victims are mainly subsistence farmers, it is important for the government to subsidise the treatment or make the anti-venom available in primary healthcare facilities. Besides, government, at all levels, must strengthen public clinics and hospitals as well as engage residents of rural communities in enlightenment campaign on preventive measures. To ensure the availability of the ASV before local production of the drugs begins, government should import large quantities. It is also important to train medical personnel to effectively manage cases of snakebite early since the venom usually worsens the health of victims by the minute and increases their likelihood of succumbing to death because of its potency.