A new global report has revealed that at least half of health facilities in Nigeria are ill-equipped to treat snakebite envenoming, raising urgent concerns over preventable deaths and disabilities. The findings were released by the Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) initiative to mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day 2026, observed annually on January 30.
The report surveyed 904 frontline healthcare workers across Nigeria, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Kenya — countries that together account for a large share of the global snakebite burden. It found that 50% of healthcare facilities in Nigeria lack the capacity to manage snakebite cases effectively, while 99% of workers reported difficulties administering antivenom, the only treatment recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as essential for snakebite care.
Nigeria’s situation was described as particularly alarming, with 98% of health workers reporting challenges in administering antivenom. The country is home to 29 snake species, nearly 41% of which are venomous, yet many victims struggle to access timely medical care.
Healthcare workers highlighted urgent priorities, including improved access to treatment, better-quality antivenom, enhanced regulation, expanded training, and increased community education to prevent risky behaviours. The report also identified delays in patients reaching health facilities (57%), poor infrastructure and lack of equipment (56%), and insufficient training and clinical guidelines (42%) as key factors behind avoidable deaths and disabilities.
The findings come amid public concern over the death of Abuja-based singer Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly visited two hospitals that could not administer antivenom before she died.
The report further revealed that 35% of healthcare workers face daily shortages of antivenom, while over 77% reported life-threatening delays in patients seeking care, often due to initial reliance on traditional remedies. About 44% of respondents said such delays had resulted in amputations or major surgeries, frequently plunging affected families deeper into poverty.
Snakebite envenoming was described as a crisis of inequality, disproportionately affecting rural communities, children, and agricultural workers living far from well-equipped facilities. Globally, the disease kills roughly one person every five minutes and leaves around 400,000 with permanent disabilities, yet it remains severely underreported and underfunded.
Elhadj As Sy, Co-Chair of the Global Snakebite Taskforce (GST) and Chancellor of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, emphasized the urgent need for action. He said frontline health workers are battling snakebites within fragile health systems and called for political commitment, increased funding, and better resources to reduce preventable deaths.
The report also highlighted simple preventive measures such as wearing protective footwear, using mosquito nets, carrying torches at night, and avoiding snake habitats — especially in rural areas — which could significantly reduce risk.
Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases, including snakebites, through advocacy and country-led solutions.
SOS urged governments, philanthropists, multilateral agencies, and industry stakeholders to invest more in research, produce high-quality antivenoms, modernize health infrastructure, and integrate snakebite prevention and treatment into national health plans. The initiative warned that snakebite envenoming currently receives only a fraction of the funding required despite causing up to 138,000 deaths and 400,000 permanent disabilities annually worldwide.
