The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has urged all states to make snakebite cases and deaths a “notifiable disease” under relevant provisions of the State Public Health Act or other applicable legislation.
- It will be mandatory for all government and private health facilities (including medical colleges) to report all suspected, probable snakebite cases and deaths.
- According to the notification, snakebites are an issue of public health concern and in certain cases, they cause mortality, morbidity and disability. The farmers, tribal population etc. are at higher risk getting bitten by snakes.
- The Health Ministry has also launched the “National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) from India by 2030” in consultation with relevant ministries and stakeholders.
- The objective of the action plan is to halve the snakebite related deaths by the year 2030.
- A mandatory notification of all snakebite cases and deaths is required to strengthen snakebite surveillance.
- It will help the stakeholders gauge accurate burden, high risk areas, factors responsible for deaths of snakebite victims, etc. resulting in improved clinical management of snakebite victims.
- In June 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) added snakebite envenoming to its priority list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
- In India, around 90% of snakebites are caused by the ‘big four’ among the crawlers – common krait, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper and saw scaled viper.
- Snakebite envenoming causes as many as 400,000 amputations and other permanent disabilities.
