Sopuruchi Onwuka

Snake bites are fast becoming the next global epidemic afflicting significant 5.4 million people every year, sickening verified 2.7 million victims and sending over 138,000 people to early grave.

Consequently, global efforts coordinated by private groups are ongoing to meet a target set by the World Health Organization (WHO) to cut snakebite deaths and disabilities to half by 2030.

In a report “Time to Bite Back: Catalyzing a Global Response to Snakebite Envenoming” published in May 2025 by The Global Snakebite Taskforce (GST), the success of achieving relief from snakebites hinges on global momentum, collaboration, and investment.

The GST, The Oralce Today reports, is the strategic arm of the Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) initiative which is a dedicated, independent group working to spotlight effective strategies, catalyze action, and mobilize resources at national, regional, and international levels.

Report is supported by Eswatini Antivenom Foundation, Impact Global Health (IGH), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, MSF, Ministry of Health of Kenya, SANGWARI – People’s Association for equity and health, and the WHO Departments of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) and of Regulation and Prequalification (RPQ).

The key highlights of the report which is available to The Oracle Today show that apart from the 5.4 million snake attacks and 138,000 deaths available in formal data, sickness or envenoming arising from snake encounters leave long term economic and health impact in mainly underdeveloped regions of the world.

For every death, the report emphasized, up to four survivors may suffer long-term disabilities such as amputations, contractures, blindness, and disfigurement.

It added that snakebite envenoming or SBE is estimated to cause up to 400,000 cases of permanent disability annually and over 1 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DLAYs) across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia combined.

Again, mental health impacts, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are widely reported but rarely quantified.

One study showed that between 25 and 54% of survivors experienced major depressive symptoms, while PTSD affected up to 43%.

“These consequences extend beyond individual health, imposing deep economic burdens on families and communities. Costs of treatment, long recovery times, and loss of productivity contribute to cycles of poverty and social marginalization,” the GST declared.           

The report stated that annual deaths from venomous snakebites disproportionately affect the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Expectedly, in South Asia, India alone accounts for up to 58,000 deaths annually; while estimates of snakebite in the ASEAN group of seven countries amounted to around 250,000 per year, with almost 16,000 deaths in South-East Asia.

Sub-Saharan African countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso report thousands of deaths per year. And 16 countries in the region suffer upwards of 4,500 deaths per year.

In Latin America, Brazil and countries with forested or rural agricultural zones make up the number of communities under severe affliction SBE.

The report noted that SBE is listed as one of the WHO’s Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and kills up to 20,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa each year.

Co-chair of the GST, Elhadj As Sy, stated:  “While the risk of snakebite may feel remote for many global leaders, the devastating and preventable human toll of snakebite envenoming can no longer be ignored.”

“Nobody should be dying from snakebite in 2025,” he said, adding that investing in snakebite response is not only a humanitarian imperative but also a test case for global equity, resilience, and the future of universal health coverage.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, had in 2015, described SBE as ‘the biggest public health crisis you have never heard of’.

The GST said SBE is a preventable and persistently overlooked public health emergency that affects rural communities in low- and middle-income countries, disproportionately impacting agricultural workers, children, and Indigenous populations.

“These are not just numbers – each case represents lives permanently altered, futures disrupted, and families plunged into economic hardship,” the taskforce amplified.

Despite classifying it as Category A NTD In 2017 by the World Health Organization (WHO) which in 2019 set out the goal to halve deaths and disabilities from snakebite by 2030, “SBE remains a persistent, and silent, killer – and one of the world’s deadliest and most overlooked health issues,” the GST noted in the report.

“SBE is a crisis of inequality, where access to treatment is a privilege, not a right. In the most vulnerable regions, where the burden is highest, antivenoms are often inadequate, ineffective or unsafe. Meanwhile, effective treatments often remain inaccessible to rural communities.

“But every death and disability caused by SBE is preventable with timely access to safe, effective treatment. However, SBE has slipped down the global agenda; compounded by fragmented, fragile health systems and broken antivenom market.”

Despite notable advancements in regulatory oversight, community education, and data harmonization, the report highlights that progress has been inconsistent, underfunded, and insufficiently scaled.

It stated that many countries still lack national action plans, and global investment remains below the levels needed to achieve the WHO’s 2030 target.

By pinpointing critical gaps and identifying promising opportunities across four strategic pillars, the authors stated, the report serves as a crucial guide for governments, donors, and implementing partners to accelerate effort, investment and impact.

In pointing out the key findings of the report, the GST made it clear that the toll is hidden, adding that regions of South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Latin America bear the brunt of snakebite mortality.

“Weak surveillance systems and limited access to formal healthcare lead to many unreported cases of SBE. Mental health impacts and disabilities are widespread but also under-measured,” the report noted.

It also pointed out that Antivenoms  which are the only proven treatment for envenoming, are often unaffordable, unavailable, or of questionable quality. It said a fragmented regulatory environment and geographically constrained manufacturing capacity further limit their reach in high burden regions.

The report also noted that WHO strategic objectives on SBE are partially realized as the four pillars of community empowerment; effective treatment; health system strengthening; and coordinated partnerships have seen varied implementation levels.

It recorded successes in the programme, including expanded data platforms such as Snakebite Data and Information Platform (SDIP), District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2 ) surveillance rollout, and new Target Product Profiles (TPPs) for antivenoms.

“However, direct Member State funding to WHO has not been secured as hoped, and critical implementation milestones remain unmet,” the report noted.

The report also noted that over 190 therapeutic candidates are currently in development; including biologics and small-molecule inhibitors.

IT added that WHO has risk-benefit assessed multiple antivenoms, and that the new TPPs for next-generation products are underway.

“Yet, most pipeline candidates remain in preclinical stages, and regulatory harmonization remains a barrier,” the report pointed out.

On how the communities are stepping up, the report stated that case studies from Eswatini, Kenya, Brazil, and India demonstrate how community engagement, policy alignment, and decentralized systems can reduce mortality and increase resilience.

The authors of the report stated that Eswatini’s record of zero deaths over 700 SBE cases demonstrate the potential of grassroots, cross-sectoral model.

On funding needs, the GST reported that less than 15% of “the projected funding requirement for the WHO roadmap through 2030 is USD 136.8 million” has been met

“What is clear is that without catalytic investment from governments, philanthropy, bilateral donors, and multilateral institutions, progress risks further stagnation,” the GST stated.

It added that significant advancements can be achieved if the global community invests in safe and effective treatments, ensures antivenoms are accessible to all, phases out substandard and false antivenom products from the market, equips healthcare systems and professionals with the necessary tools and knowledge, and supports community prevention and education initiatives.”