Snakebite data collection tool to launch soon

While the debate on counterfeit anti-venom treatments and increased snakebites rages on, lack of area-specific data on snakebites has hindered effective treatment of snakebite poisoning in the country. The available data may be inaccurate, with many cases of snakebites going unreported. Reportedly, the information is scarce, making it hard for the Ministry of Health (MoH) to plan effectively on how to handle snakebite envenoming. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), snakebite envenoming is a potentially life-threatening disease that typically results from the injection of a mixture of different toxins (venom) following the bite of a venomous snake. In 2018, WHO listed snakebite as a neglected tropical disease due to a large number of people who died, got injured and or paralysed through snakebite envenoming. As such, MoH has developed a data collection tool which will enable it to get the real number of people bitten by snakes. The tool will collect data in all areas and help establish the burden of snakebites in each county even to the village level.

ROLL-OUT

During an interview with Healthy Nation, Dr Sultani Matendechero, the head, Division of Vector-Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases at MoH said the tool would be rolled out in the counties soon. “The tool has just been signed by the Ministry. We are starting to roll it out immediately because we want to start receiving reports before the end of the year,” he said. The data will be used to inform the amount of anti-venom to distribute and how best to do it, especially since some areas are more affected than others. It will include the patient’s gender, the type of the bite, course of treatment at the facility, and the effect of the bite (death, paralysis or disability). There are three types of snakebite venom, namely; neurotoxic, which affects the nervous system, hemotoxic which destroy the red blood cells and cytotoxic, which affects tissues. This information will help identify typical venom. The tool will first be rolled out in a pilot programme in identified snakebite hotspots in Baringo, Kitui and Kilifi, he said. “We target to reduce by 50 per cent the snakebite burden by 2025,” said Dr Matendechero. This is even though the global target is to reduce the burden by 50 per cent by 2030.

ANTI-VENOM

Currently, in Kenya, there are only two anti-venom products which are pre-qualified by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa). These are the Indian made VINS anti-venom which has 10 kinds of venom from African snakes and Inoserp from Mexico, which treats venom from 16 different type of snakes. Unfortunately, the majority of anti-venom treatments in the Kenyan market are counterfeits. During a rapid assessment done last year in several towns, it was discovered that there were 22 brands of unregistered anti-venoms in pharmacies, most from India, divulged Dr Matendechero. Eight of those brands were monovalent, meaning that they can only treat venom from one snake. Unfortunately, the monovalent anti-venom treatments were made for Indian snakes; he said, adding that among the treatments labelled as anti-venom was diclofenac, a pain killer. “We are expecting a third anti-venom treatment to be registered soon. We have been pushing for the registration of more brands to have a variety in the market,” he said. Dr Matendechero accused some people of smuggling the treatment into the country.