The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora has said Nigeria records an average of 15,000 to 20,000 cases of snakebite every year with about 2000 people killed and between 1,700 and 2,000 people whose leg or arm is amputated to save their lives after snakebite.
Mamora disclosed this on Monday at a ministerial press briefing marking the 2021 International Snakebite Awareness Day in Abuja.
Mamora said snake bite poisoning known as an envenomation has long been a Public Health Challenge in Nigeria, especially in the rural areas.
“Snakebite occurs, mainly during planting and harvest seasons when people go about their work in the farm of Bush”.
“The cases have increased recently, as a result of excessive rainfall leading to more mobility and deaths connected with adequate quantities of antisnake venom.”
Mamora mentioned the states with most cases of snakebite in Nigeria as Gombe, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Nasarawa, Enugu, Kogi Kebbi, Oyo, Benue and Taraba.
Mamora citing the example of Public Health experts said Nigeria, is, unfortunately, among countries that were affected by snake bites. Reaching epidemic proportions.
“About 5 million people in the world are bitten every year by snakes. Up to 2.5 million people that suffer poisoning or envenomation.”
“At least a hundred thousand of them died from the bites and about 300,000 amputated or suffer other permanent disabilities caused by snake bites.
In Africa, about 1 million snake bites occur yearly with half of them requiring treatment as Nigeria supports efforts to bring attention to snakebite and envenomation and the process leading to recognition of snakebite as a Neglected Tropical Disease(NTD).
The Minister of State further disclosed that In 2018. A coalition of organizations working on global health and tropical medicine around the world including Health action International launched the first-ever international Snakebite Awareness Day to raise awareness of the huge mostly on recognised global impact of snakebite.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mamman Mahmuda also disclosed that from January 2018 to December 2020, over 45,834 cases of snakebite and 1793 deaths were reported in Nigeria as he added that some cases still remain unreported due to the fact that they were not reported to the health facility
Mahmuda who was represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr Alex Okoh said this figure underscores the government’s determination to improve access to safe, effective and affordable anti-snake venom to treat victims and why Nigeria is seriously pursuing steps towards local production of antisnake venom.
The Programme Manager of Snake Bite Envenomation Programme, Fatai Oyediran said it is costly to treat a snakebite patient as it cost nothing less than N45 to N50 thousand to acquire each dose of injection and a patient will need three antivenom injection to properly heal
He however called for support for local manufacturing of antivenom injection to make treatment affordable, available, accessible and cost-effective for the common man who cannot afford to pay when the accident happens.
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