The Medical Director of the Snakebite Hospital and Research Centre, Kaltungo, Gombe State, Dr Nicholas Amani, on Sunday described anti-snake venom as a globally scarce commodity, attributing the situation to the fact that most snakebite victims are poor, rural farmers with little social or political voice
Amani stated this in a telephone interview with our correspondent while reacting to the death of aspiring singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died after a snake bite in Abuja on Saturday.
Nwangene, 26, rose to national prominence after appearing on The Voice Nigeria in 2021 and was known for her unique blend of jazz, opera, classical music and soul.
Speaking on the challenge of snakebite management in Nigeria and globally, Amani said, “The truth is that anti-snake venom is a scarce commodity all around the world. The reason is that snake bite mainly affects the less privileged, farmers, and rural dwellers — people who do not really have a voice.”
He explained that the marginalisation of victims has resulted in chronic under-investment in the production and distribution of anti-snake venom worldwide.
“Everywhere we attend conferences and international meetings, it is the same issue, scarcity, scarcity. Ultimately, there are no free anti-snake venoms available. Most of them are now being sold by pharmacy vendors,” he said.
Amani noted that despite renewed attention to snakebite as a major public health challenge, even specialised hospitals currently lack adequate supplies of anti-snake venom.
“I want to make it very clear that even in specialised hospitals, we do not actually have anti-snake venom in our facilities currently. Efforts are being made by the government to make provision because this has now resurfaced as a major health challenge, but the process is still in the pipeline,” he explained.
Using Kaltungo as an example, the medical director said patients are often forced to source the life-saving drug from private vendors.
Punch Healthwise reports that the Nigeria Snakebite Treatment and Research Hospital, Kaltungo, treats patients across the North-East states of Nigeria and neighbouring countries, including Cameroon.
“Even in Kaltungo, what you find is that it is pharmacists and business people in town who are supplying the anti-venom. Patients have to go and buy from them. So the issue of scarcity is real,” Amani said.
He stressed that the core problem remains the lack of advocacy for those most affected.
“The people affected don’t have a voice. That is why we keep making noise, so they can have a voice and government, as well as NGOs, will listen and understand the situation,” he added.
While acknowledging ongoing government efforts, Dr. Amani said public intervention alone is insufficient given the scale of the problem.
“Government is doing a lot, I must say. But once anti-snake venom is procured, given the number of patients we have, it is exhausted very quickly. That is why NGOs and other organisations must also step in,” he said.
He further explained that local production of anti-snake venom, frequently advocated by experts including Gombe State Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, requires enormous financial and technical investment.
“Nigeria should look seriously at production, but this is not something you do overnight. It involves technology transfer, training people abroad at huge cost, procuring specialised equipment, and sustained funding. You cannot produce anti-snake venom the way you produce a COVID-19 vaccine in a short time. It requires a lot of money and input,” Amani said.
On the cost burden to patients, the medical director described the situation as devastating.
“Currently, a vial of anti-snake venom costs about ₦250,000. Some patients require two or three vials. The people who come with snake bites are very poor. They sell their farmlands and belongings just to buy one vial. Imagine when two or three vials are needed,” he lamented.
Amani said the death of young Nigerians such as Ifunanya Nwangene underscores the urgency of addressing snakebite as a neglected public health emergency.
“We are taking the right steps, but we need sustained commitment, more funding, local production, and strong partnerships if we are serious about eradicating this problem,” he added.
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