Pharmacists Push for Free Antivenom and Local Production to Fight Snakebite Deaths

Community pharmacists in Nigeria are urging the government to take swift action to reduce deaths and disabilities caused by snakebites by providing free antivenom and investing in local production of the lifesaving drug.

The pharmacists highlighted that thousands of people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, but many victims cannot afford treatment or reach medical facilities in time, resulting in preventable deaths. They stressed that reliance on imported antivenom has made timely treatment difficult, especially in rural areas.

They argue that producing antivenom locally would lower costs and improve accessibility, and called for its inclusion in national health insurance to ease financial burdens on patients.

The association emphasized that snakebite envenoming is a major but often overlooked public health issue and urged the government to prioritize it in national health planning, while expanding treatment capacity in primary healthcare centers nationwide.