Government Classifies Snakebites as a Notifiable Disease in India
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New Delhi, Nov 29 (NationPress) Amid escalating public health concerns regarding snakebites, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has officially categorized snakebite cases and fatalities as a “notifiable disease” in India.
According to the Ministry's data, approximately 50,000 deaths occur annually in India due to an estimated 3-4 million snakebites. This figure represents half of the worldwide snakebite mortality. Unfortunately, many cases remain significantly underreported.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasized in a letter addressed to state and union territory health secretaries that, “Snakebites are a significant public health issue, often leading to mortality, morbidity, and disability, particularly affecting farmers and tribal communities.”
In the letter, she urged authorities to designate snakebite cases and fatalities as a ‘Notifiable Disease’ under the State Public Health Act or other relevant legislation.
Furthermore, the letter called upon all public and private healthcare facilities, including medical colleges, to “mandatorily report all suspected and probable snakebite cases and deaths in the specified format.”
The common krait, Indian cobra, Russell's viper, and saw-scaled viper account for approximately 90 percent of snakebites in India.
While polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV) — which targets these four snakes — is effective in 80 percent of cases, the persistent lack of trained healthcare personnel and adequate facilities for treating snakebite victims is alarming.
Additional challenges include insufficient data on incidence, morbidity, mortality, and the socio-economic impact of snakebites.
In March, MoFHW initiated the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) to tackle the snakebite crisis.
The action plan aims to reduce snakebite-related deaths by 50 percent by 2030, according to Srivastava.
This plan outlines strategic components and defines the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders involved in managing, controlling, and preventing snakebites.
A primary goal of NAPSE is to enhance the surveillance of snakebite cases and fatalities across the country.
Srivastava advocated for developing a “robust surveillance system” to accurately monitor snakebite incidents and deaths. This system will provide essential data to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
Additionally, it will enable stakeholders to understand the “true burden, high-risk areas, and factors contributing to snakebite fatalities,” ultimately leading to improved clinical management of victims, Srivastava stated.
