New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry unveiled a national action plan on Tuesday for management, prevention and control of snakebite envenoming so that disabilities and deaths due to it can be halved by 2030.
Besides, a helpline number (15400), that provides immediate assistance, guidance and support to individuals and communities affected by snakebites, will be piloted in five states and Union territories -- Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi -- under the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE).
This initiative, part of the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE), seeks to ensure swift access to medical care and information. Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra launched the NAPSE, emphasizing the critical role of timely access to safe anti-venoms and transportation in preventing fatalities and severe outcomes.
The strategic action for human health component includes ensuring provision of anti-snake venom at all health facilities, strengthening surveillance of snakebite cases and deaths in humans, strengthening of emergency care services at district hospitals and community health centres, including services for ambulance, institutionalisation of regional venom centre’s and inter-sectoral coordination.
Thus the key interventions to reduce deaths due to snakebite include upskilling of medical officers for timely and standard treatment to ensure any victim of snakebite envenoming receives anti-snake venom (ASV) in time and his/her progress is monitored with timely referral/dosage.
Second intervention involves mass awareness which holds key for prevention of snakebite especially in high risk areas.
The strategic action for wildlife health component includes education awareness, anti-venom distribution, strengthening of the key stakeholders, systematic research and monitoring and snake venom collection and snake relocation.
According to WHO data, global snakebite incidences stand at around 5.4 million with about 1.8 to 2.7 million accounting to snake envenoming annually resulting in approximately 8000-1.3 lakh deaths and triple the number of amputations and permanent disabilities.
In India, approximately 50,000 fatalities result from an estimated 3 to 4 million snakebites each year, representing roughly half of all global snakebite-related deaths, according to the document.
Only a small proportion of snakebite victims across countries report to the clinics and hospitals and actual burden of snake bite is grossly under-reported.
As per the Central Bureau of Health Investigation (CBHI) reports (2016-2020), the average annual frequency of snakebite cases in India is around 3 lakhs and about 2000 deaths occur due to snakebite envenoming, the document said.