World Health Organization: Eliminating Deaths From Snake Bites

World Health Organization: Eliminating Deaths From Snake Bites
Posted on May 4, 2010 by Candace M Hansen -Sticky Tongue.com

2.5 million people are bitten by a venomous snake each year, according to the World Health Organization. Of those, over 100,000 people die and over 300,000 people require some form of amputation. Venomous snake bites can lead to paralysis, fatal haemmorrhages, irreversible kidney failure and severe tissue damage.

Most of the victims are children, women and farmers who live in poor rural areas where there is a shortage of the appropriate antivenins.

According to Lembit Rago from the World Health Organization (WHO), "Most deaths and serious consequences are preventable by making antivenin more widely available . However, antivenin supply failure is imminent in Africa, and in some countries of Asia, and also some countries beyond those."

What is ironic is that the countries where some of the deadliest snakes are prevalent, snake bites are almost completely disregarded as a public health issue. So many places simply stop the production and development of antivenin altogether.

According to the WHO, even if antivenin is available in these locations, it is typically untested or even used for the wrong type of snake bite.

Today, the World Health Organization has officially published guidelines on the production, regulation and control of snake antivenin via a new online database.
It is hoped that, "These new tools will help bring [these problems] to an end," said Carissa Etienne, WHO Assistant Director-General.

The guidelines and database will:

. Show where venomous snakes are located around the world;
. Illustrate what venomous snakes look like so ordinary people can identify the venomous snakes that share their surroundings
. Detail which antivenin are appropriate; and
. List where the proper antivenins can be obtained.