The Toxicological Society of Nigeria (TSN) has revealed that Nigeria records nearly 1,900 deaths and approximate 43,000 snakebite cases every year.
The TSN stated this a communiqué issued at the end of its 2nd Annual General Meeting on Snakebite Management and Research Interventions, held at Gombe State University.
According to the Society the situation was as a neglected public health emergency.
Following Nwangene’s unfortunate demise, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria called on the Federal Government to make antivenom free nationwide and advocated local antivenom manufacturing to address over 2,000 preventable snakebite-related deaths recorded annually.
Also, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to make antivenom free nationwide and called on local antivenom manufacturing to address over 2,000 preventable snakebite-related deaths recorded annually.
Another agency the Strike Out Snakebite Initiative said at least 50 per cent of health facilities in Nigeria lack the capacity to treat snakebite envenoming.
It said Nigeria’s health systems were weak, with poor infrastructure, and shortages of life-saving antivenom continue to drive preventable deaths and long-term disabilities, particularly in high-burden countries such as Nigeria.
Other health organisations and local and foreign experts have voiced similar concerns of inadequate facilities, negligence by the government, among other challenges and called for urgent intervention to safe lives of Nigerians especially those living in snake infested environment.
