SUCCESSIVE PREVALENCE OF SNAKEBITE: CHALLENGES OF ANTIBODY-BASED MANAGEMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Snakebite, a neglected tropical disease, remains a public health hazard known to cause high morbidity and mortality especially in rural sub-Saharan African countries. The World Health Organization (WHO)’s target to reduce snakebite envenoming-related death and disabilities by 50% by 2030 through ‘Snakebite envenoming: A strategy for prevention and control’ is fast approaching. However, between 2019 when this strategy was launched and now, there is no significant reduction in snakebite incidences especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, for achieving this target in the remaining four years, for this decades-old problem, there is an urgent need to further understand the prevalence of snakebite, the huge and biting economic burden it imposes and the numerous challenges associated with the snakebite current treatment regimen. This awareness about snakebite incidences and the burden associated with it will no doubt encourage the facilitation of the following components of the strategy: the availability of affordable antivenom and trained medical personnel to provide prompt and effective care; improvement in infrastructure, supply chain and healthcare capacity in high risk regions; coordinating global, regional and national stakeholders aimed at reducing snakebite incidences and the associated morbidity and mortality. Data for this review were sourced from WHO fact sheets, peer-reviewed journals, credible online databases and many other reliable sources.