Kenya to start making anti-venom to tame snake bites
Snake anti-venoms are the only effective treatment to prevent or reverse most of the venomous effects of snakebites. They are included in the WHO List of Essential Medicines and should be part of any primary healthcare package where snakebites occur. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The Institute for Primate Research Kenya HAS announced that it is set to roll out the first anti-venom produced in an African country.
- Kenya has been importing anti-venom in bulk from Europe and India. However, it has emerged that 50 per cent of the imported anti-venoms are not effective.
Kenya will soon be able to produce anti-venom to tame snake bites. This is after the Institute for Primate Research (IPR) Kenya announced that it is set to roll out the first anti-venom produced in an African country.
Kenya has been importing anti-venom in bulk from Europe and India. However, it has emerged that 50 per cent of the imported anti-venoms are not effective.
“Most of the anti-venoms are imported from Europe and India but less than 50 per cent are effective for treatment of snake bites. As a research institute, we will soon be rolling out the first African developed anti-venom that will be more effective,” said IPR Kenya CEO Gichuhi Mwethera.
He explained that anti-venoms are mostly specific to regions. “ Anti-venom can be effective in a certain specific region but not react the same in another area,” explained Dr Gichuhi
He disclosed that more 20,000 people are bitten by snakes annually in Kenya. Some 4,000 die from snake bites while 7,000 others are paralysed or get other health complications.
“We shall in the next two years roll out anti-venom that is 80 per cent effective and we are working with the Poisons and Licensing Board to validate the effectiveness of the treatment,” explained Dr Gichuhi.
He noted that drugs for snake bites can go as high as between Sh10,000 –Sh15,000 per vial and a patient bitten by a venomous snake can require up to five vials.
This comes at a time when health facilities in Nandi have partnered with government departments to contain deadly venomous snakes that have claimed tens of lives in the region.
The programme by Karebe Gold Mining involves the Kenya Medical Research institute (Kemri), Watamu Snake Homes and the Nandi County government.
“There are rampant cases of snake bites in this region especially during the hot season and the treatment is too costly for many residents,” said Albert Kiplimo, Karebe administration manager.
The company is providing essential drugs worth Sh30,000 monthly to each of the six health centres in Chemilil/Chemase ward. The health facilities in Nandi escarpment serve patients from the neighbouring Kisumu and Kericho counties.
In Kenya anti-venom research centres are in Baringo, Kitui, Samburu and Mbeere, where cases of snake bites are rampant.
According to Peter Godana from Watamu Snake Homes, some of the deadly venomous snakes are found along the low-lying sugarcane growing region.
They include Gabon Viper, Rhinoceros Viper, Puff Adder, Forest Cobra, Black Mamba and Rock Pythons. “Some of the snakes are venous while others are not but it is important for one to seek treatment once bitten by a snake,” said Mr Godana
According to the World Health Organization, inadequate past efforts to control snakebite envenoming has produced fragmented, inaccurate epidemiological data. Many victims do not attend health centres or hospitals and instead rely on traditional treatments. However, available data show 4.5–5.4 million people get bitten by snakes annually. Of this, 1.8–2.7 million develop clinical illness and 81 000 to 138 000 die from complications.
