The Ministry of Health has stepped up measures to tackle snakebite envenoming in the country, with more than 19,000 people affected.
Speaking during this year’s commemoration of International Snakebite Awareness Day in Baringo County on Saturday, Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary Muthoni said the government was taking deliberate measures to reduce deaths and disabilities associated with snakebites.
Muthoni said more than 1,000 Kenyans lose their lives to snakebites annually, while hundreds more are left with permanent physical disabilities.
She said the burden was particularly heavy in rural and pastoral communities, where children are among those most exposed to snakebites.
“Snakebite envenoming has been recognised as a priority Neglected Tropical Disease and incorporated into the Kenya National Neglected Tropical Diseases Masterplan 2023–2027,” the PS said.
The Ministry has strengthened surveillance by integrating mandatory snakebite case reporting into the Kenya Health Information System at all health facility levels.
Muthoni said community-level surveillance had also been activated through the Electronic Community Health Information System to improve the identification and reporting of cases.
At the community level, she said more than 5,000 Community Health Promoters had been trained across snakebite-endemic counties.
The PS said the health promoters had been equipped to identify households at risk, provide prevention messages, administer correct first aid, report cases and facilitate timely referral of victims to health facilities.
“This investment in our frontline health workforce is critical in reducing the time between a snakebite and access to appropriate care,” she noted.
The Ministry has also completed county-level mapping of snakebite hotspots to guide targeted distribution of antivenom and strengthen emergency response in areas with a high burden of snakebite envenoming.
Baringo is among the counties identified as having a high burden of snakebites and was selected to host this year’s national commemoration.
The government is also working to strengthen local capacity to produce and assure the quality of antivenom used to treat snakebite victims.
Through the Kenya Institute of Primate Research, the country is developing its first domestically produced antivenom using venom profiles from locally relevant snake species.
Muthoni said the government was also establishing a National Antivenom Quality Control Laboratory at the Kenya Institute of Primate Research to strengthen quality assurance and antivenom efficacy standards.
The PS said snakebite surveillance had also been integrated into mass drug administration campaigns, allowing the Ministry to use existing Neglected Tropical Disease structures to strengthen community-level data collection and surveillance.
Kenya is also playing a role in international efforts to keep snakebite on the global health agenda.
Muthoni said Kenya co-chairs the Global Snakebite Taskforce, which provides political leadership to international efforts aimed at addressing snakebite.
She said Kenya also led a Member State side event at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, helping to return snakebite to the World Health Assembly agenda for the first time since 2020.
This year’s International Snakebite Awareness Day was marked under the theme “Know it. Respect it. Survive it”, with the event bringing together students, teachers, Community Health Promoters and members of the community.
Muthoni urged Kenyans, particularly those living in snakebite-risk areas, to observe three key messages: prevent snakebites, act right after a bite and seek care early.
She also advised people to avoid unnecessary contact with snakes, use correct first aid and avoid harmful practices before taking victims to a health facility as quickly as possible.
