Nigeria snakebite crisis worsens as half of health facilities lack capacity to treat victims amid antivenom shortages and poor infrastructure

At least 50 per cent of health facilities in Nigeria lack the capacity to treat snakebite envenoming, a new report by the global Strike Out Snakebite initiative has revealed, highlighting a worsening Nigeria snakebite crisis.

Also read: Singer Ifunanya Nwangene dies in tragic snake bite in Abuja

Released to mark World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2026, the report surveyed 904 frontline healthcare workers across Nigeria, Brazil, India, Indonesia and Kenya countries with high burdens of snakebite envenoming.

In Nigeria, 98 per cent of healthcare workers reported challenges administering antivenom, the only treatment recognised by the World Health Organization as essential for snakebite care.

“Nigeria is home to 29 species of snakes, nearly 41 per cent of which are venomous, yet many victims still struggle to access timely medical care,” the report noted.

It identified weak health systems, poor infrastructure, antivenom shortages, and inadequate training as key drivers of preventable deaths and long-term disabilities.

The survey found that delays in patients reaching facilities (57 per cent), insufficient equipment (56 per cent), and lack of clinical guidelines (42 per cent) are major contributors to avoidable fatalities and permanent injuries.

Some 44 per cent of respondents reported that delays resulted in amputations or major surgery, with affected families often pushed into poverty.

The report follows the death of Abuja-based music talent Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly visited two hospitals unable to administer antivenom before passing away.

Co-chair of the Global Snakebite Taskforce and Chancellor of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Elhadj As Sy, described the situation as a crisis of inequality that disproportionately affects rural communities, children, and agricultural workers.

He called for urgent action to ensure that preventable deaths are no longer tolerated.

“Too often, conversations on global health overlook those who shoulder the greatest burden — frontline healthcare workers,” Elhadj said.

“Victims face long journeys to care, limited infrastructure and scarce, costly antivenom, turning a treatable condition into a life-threatening emergency.”

The report urged governments, donors, multilateral agencies and industry to scale up investment in research, expand affordable, high-quality antivenom production, modernise health infrastructure, and integrate snakebite prevention and treatment into national health plans.

Simple preventive measures, such as wearing protective footwear, using mosquito nets, carrying torches at night, and avoiding snake habitats, could significantly reduce risk, particularly in rural areas, the report noted.

Joy Phumaphi, Executive Secretary of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening prevention and control through advocacy and country-led solutions.

Also read: Man in China caught smuggling 100 live snakes in his trousers

Strike Out Snakebite warned that despite causing up to 138,000 deaths and 400,000 permanent disabilities globally every year, snakebite envenoming receives only a fraction of the funding required to tackle the crisis effectively.