As world leaders gather for the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, the new Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) initiative has unveiled a confronting art installation to highlight the critical need for action against the daily threat of snakebite envenoming, which disproportionately and severely affects some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Snakebite is one of the world’s deadliest yet most overlooked Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), with one person dying every five minutes and many more suffering severe injuries and amputations that profoundly impact their lives and livelihoods.
However, with increased visibility, political momentum and a clear investment pipeline, this preventable global health issue can be tackled to eliminate needless suffering.
The public art series in Geneva’s Parc Mon Repos aims to bring the urgency of the snakebite crisis to the international community’s attention.
Through 10 individual artworks, including a 3-meter snake sculpture and series of warning signs and illustrations, the work brings to life the physical threat, the significant human impact, and the hope inspired by scientific research and development.
The Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) initiative, aimed at ending preventable deaths and disabilities from snakebite, has also established a Global Snakebite Taskforce comprised of experts, policymakers, funders, researchers, health professionals, community advocates, and global leaders.
Co-chaired by Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, and Elhadj As Sy, Chancellor of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Taskforce’s mission is to elevate the visibility of this pressing issue on the global stage and catalyse resources for treatment and interventions that will prevent snakebite-related deaths and disabilities.
Duale said the inclusion of snakebite envenoming on the WHA agenda marked a critical turning point in the fight against a neglected but deadly health threat.
“After years of snakebite being in the shadows, securing snakebite onto the official WHA agenda for the first time this decade is a significant moment and testament to Kenya’s commitment to addressing this overlooked, but eliminable, health challenge,” he said
“By prioritising snakebite on the global agenda, we are not only advocating for the health, safety and livelihoods of our citizens, but setting a precedent for other nations to also step up. This is the start of a new chapter of international collaboration to ensure no more lives are lost to this preventable health challenge.”
On his part As Sy called on world leaders to confront the rising toll of snakebite envenoming, warning that the crisis can no longer be ignored.
“This is a solvable challenge and one of the most cost-effective global health issues to tackle, with a real possibility to eliminate this suffering. We have many of the tools to save lives and livelihoods, but we urgently require the political will, momentum and funding. Together we can and must Strike Out Snakebite,” he stated.
Kenya’s Director General for Health, Dr Patrick Amoth said the Ministry of Health is committed to leading efforts to address the global threat of snakebite envenoming, which he described as a crisis “hiding in plain sight.”
“Every five minutes, 50 people around the world are bitten by a snake, four will be permanently disabled, and one will die. Across the African continent alone, 435,000-580,000 people are envenomed annually, causing disability, life changing injury and death. With the issue of snakebite now officially back on the WHA agenda, we have a critical opportunity to come together to galvanise global action,” said Amoth
Abhijeet Jayavant, a wildlife rescuer from Mumbai who was bitten by a venomous viper in 2009, has welcomed the increased attention on the issue.
He contrasts his experience with those who lack access to treatment, saying: “After I was bitten by a Bamboo viper, my arm swelled to double its size over night, but within two hours of the bite, I’d accessed antivenom. The treatment cost me the equivalent of about $130. But I’m very aware that there is no way some villagers could afford that. It’s more than some make in a month. For them, a bite is often a death sentence. Now I work on call to rescue snakes from locations across Mumbai. It’s very common for me to see Russell’s Vipers or Spectacled Cobras in people’s homes, just a few feet away from where they are sleeping. But groups like mine can only do so much. It’s going to take bigger, more coordinated action to save more lives and coexist with the urban wildlife of Mumbai.”
Snakebites kill up to 138,000 people globally each year and leave more than 400,000 with severe injuries, including paralysis and amputations, a toll higher than that of rabies, dengue, Ebola and yellow fever combined.
Despite the scale of the crisis, experts say snakebite envenoming remains one of the world’s most neglected tropical diseases, with limited funding for research, development and access to effective antivenoms.
There are around 250 medically significant venomous snake species worldwide, and each species has unique venom that requires a specific antivenom.
This complexity, combined with poor availability of appropriate treatments, has left millions at risk particularly in rural and low-resource settings.
Many antivenoms are either inaccessible or ineffective, with survivors often facing devastating outcomes such as limb loss, internal bleeding, or lifelong disability.
Experts warn that climate change and extreme weather events are increasing human-snake encounters, worsening an already overlooked health threat.
Without urgent global action, they say, snakebite will continue to be pushed further into the shadows.
KBC Digital
