Snakebite envenoming kills one person every five minutes, despite being both preventable and treatable.

To mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2026, a new report by the Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) global initiative reveals that healthcare workers treating snakebite envenoming – one of the most unknown neglected tropical diseases – are being let down by endemic failings in health systems and infrastructure, impacting both treatment and prevention.

In a survey of 904 healthcare workers, 98% of those surveyed in Nigeria (250) reported challenges with antivenom administration, including lack of training on monitoring for signs of progression (39%). Half (50%) said their facilities lack full capacity to treat snakebite, and 39% face daily shortages of antivenom.

SOS is urging the global community to address the failings in health systems by integrating SBE into national health strategies, modernising health infrastructure, strengthening antivenom regulation, expanding community education, and closing critical gaps in access to prevention and treatment.

“A snakebite is a medical emergency, and anytime it happens it needs to be dealt with urgently and with the right treatment. If you delay, you lose the patient. We must continue to educate the public…and ensure all facilities have access to antivenom,” states Dr. Erulu from Kenya, who appears in a powerful short film – Snakebite: from Science to Survival – released alongside this new report.

To mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, a new report from the Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) initiative exposes a fragile frontline – as healthcare workers are battling broken systems that jeopardise both prevention and treatment of snakebite envenoming (SBE).

Snakebite is one of the world’s deadliest yet most overlooked Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), representing nearly half of the global burden of all NTDs and causing up to 138,000 deaths and 400,000 permanent disabilities every year. Despite this, snakebite receives only a fraction of the funding it desperately needs.

Snakebite envenoming is a crisis of inequality. It strikes hardest in rural communities – among children, agricultural workers, and families living far from health facilities. Victims often face long journeys to care, limited infrastructure, and costly and scarce antivenom supplies. These barriers turn a preventable and treatable condition into a life-threatening emergency.

As part of a new survey of 904 healthcare workers across Brazil, Nigeria, India, and Indonesia, findings from Nigeria revealed:

98% report challenges administering antivenom – the only WHO1-listed essential medicine for SBE treatment.

50% say their facilities lack full capacity to treat snakebite.

39% face daily antivenom shortages.

56% report poor infrastructure and inadequate equipment – raising the risk of limb loss, blindness and chronic neurological injury.

Elhadj As Sy, Chancellor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Co-Chair of the Global Snakebite Taskforce, said:

“Too often, conversations on global health overlook those who shoulder the greatest burden: frontline healthcare workers. This report shines a light on the severe challenges they face in trying to save lives – and it is time to not just listen, but to mobilise. Many solutions exist, but we need political will and bold commitments from partners and investors to turn the tide on this preventable yet devastating Neglected Tropical Disease.

“Snakebite must no longer be overlooked or underfunded by the international community. It is time for action – not sympathy, not statements, but action worthy of the scale of this crisis.”

Antivenom is most effective when administered quickly – yet 82% of healthcare workers surveyed in Nigeria report life-threatening delays in seeking treatment, often due patient preference for traditional or alternative remedies (61%). Efficacy also depends on identifying the snake, but 42% report challenges administering antivenom due to uncertainty about the type of snake involved. The cost of delay is devastating: 43% reported avoidable delays ending in amputation or major surgery, potentially locking families into poverty and deepening inequality.

Simple precautions – such as wearing protective clothing and sturdy footwear, sleeping under well‑tucked mosquito nets, carrying a torch at night, and avoiding likely snake habitats – can signficantly reduce the risk of a bite. If a bite does occur, safely taking a photograph of the snake can help with identification and confirm treatment options, but only if it can be done without putting anyone at further risk.

To bring the report findings to life, a short film – Snakebite: from Science to Survival – has been released, featuring powerful first-hand testimony from researchers, doctors, snake handlers, and survivors, underscoring the human toll and the urgency to act.

Dr Erulu from Kenya, who is featured in the film said:

“A snakebite is a medical emergency, and anytime it happens it needs to be dealt with urgently and with the right treatment. However, we know 70-80% of patients first go to the traditional healers, where they receive inadequate care. If you delay, you lose the patient, but this has never really sunk into the community.

We must continue to educate the public on the importance of seeking care, alongside investing in local health systems to ensure all facilities have access to antivenom.”

Today, just two funders provide 65% of global investment into snakebite R&D, which is neither sustainable nor sufficient. Frontline healthcare workers in Nigeria are therefore calling for urgent investment from the international community – governments, global health leaders, multilateral agencies, philanthropists, and investors – to:

Strengthen antivenom R&D (40%) and expand affordable, high‑quality manufacturing (43%);

Improve data and monitoring (31%) and protective equipment (29%);

Improve training programmes for healthcare professions (44%);

Increase access to safe, effective antivenom (32%);

Increase collaboration between governments, NGOs, and local health systems (31%)

Improve access to healthcare facilities (24%), improve healthcare system infrastructure (16%), and scale community education (48%).

The solutions to end needless death and disability from snakebite already exist. By pooling resources to purchase antivenom and producing it in regional hubs, countries can stabilise prices and ensure a consistent supply of high-quality antivenom. Integrating snakebite prevention and treatment into national health plans will strengthen health systems and save lives. Alongside this, investing in education, awareness programs, and preventative measures wantivenomer communities with the knowledge and tools they need to reduce risk and respond effectively when bites occur.
Strike Out Snakebite was launched in 2025 to drive action across four fronts: R&D, antivenom access, public health, and advocacy – aligned with WHO’s goal to halve deaths and disabilities by 2030. Its Global Snakebite Taskforce unites experts, funders, and policymakers to keep this crisis on the global agenda.

The moral imperative is clear: nobody should be dying from snakebite envenoming. This crisis is preventable, and targeted investment can catalyse significant impact. Now is the moment to act – and together, we can Strike Out Snakebite.

By Winifred Bosa

In response to questions about a global voluntary recall, Nestlé Nigeria states that its infant formula is not involved.

The recall pertains to certain batches of infant formula announced in some countries, and Nestlé Nigeria assures that their Nigerian-registered products with NAFDAC are unaffected.

The company confirms that all SMA ranges (SMA Gold 1, SMA Gold 2, SMA Gold 3) and NAN ranges (NAN Optipro 1, NAN Optipro 2, NAN Optipro 3) sold locally are safe for consumption.

Nestlé Nigeria reiterates its commitment to product safety and quality, underscoring that protecting babies’ health is a top priority.

By Winifred Bosa

The Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) expresses deep concern over the persistent loss of lives and rising cases of severe injuries resulting from road traffic crashes across the country, many of which are worsened by weak, delayed, or absent emergency response systems.

HEWAN commiserates with the families of the British-Nigerian two-time unified world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, and his friends who sustained severe injuries and tragically lost their lives on Monday, following a ghastly motor accident along the Ibadan Expressway.

According to a press release jointly signed by HEWAN’s president  Vivian Ihechu and it’s secretary Temitope Obayendo , the
association shares in the grief of all bereaved families and prays that the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.

While road traffic crashes remain a major public health challenge, HEWAN notes with concern that many fatalities and long-term disabilities occur not only because crashes happen, but because victims fail to receive timely rescue, pre-hospital care, and definitive medical attention.

HEWAN therefore calls on the Federal Government to urgently establish ambulance points on major highways nationwide, particularly on accident-prone routes, to ensure rapid emergency response. These ambulance points should be properly equipped and manned by trained personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

As a body of health writers committed to saving lives, HEWAN insists that functional highway ambulance services are no longer optional but essential. Many lives lost on Nigerian roads could have been saved with quicker access to emergency care, as strategic placement of ambulance points would significantly reduce response and evacuation times.

In addition, HEWAN urges the Federal Government to commence the training and deployment of first responders along all major highways to stabilise crash victims before transportation to the nearest health facility for further treatment.

“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum also has a critical role to play in strengthening emergency response systems across states, as road traffic crashes continue to claim thousands of lives annually. Many fatal incidents become tragedies due to delayed or completely absent emergency intervention.”

“By jointly prioritising highway emergency care, state governors can coordinate investments in well-equipped ambulance services, strategically located trauma response units, functional toll-free emergency numbers, and trained first responders. A harmonised approach would ensure that accident victims receive prompt medical attention regardless of the state in which a crash occurs.”

“Strengthening emergency response along highways is a cost-effective public health intervention that saves lives, reduces long-term disability, and eases the burden on families and the healthcare system. Rapid evacuation and early medical care significantly improve survival outcomes.”

HEWAN also draws attention to systemic challenges within the health sector and urges the government to urgently resolve the prolonged health workers’ strike, which continues to undermine emergency care and overall healthcare delivery. An efficient emergency response system cannot function optimally without available, motivated, and adequately supported health professionals.

As health journalists committed to public wellbeing, HEWAN reiterates that saving lives after road traffic crashes is a public health priority and calls on government, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, emergency agencies, and health authorities to act decisively to improve highway emergency response and restore a functional healthcare system capable of responding when lives hang in the balance.