50 Per Cent Of Global Snakebite Deaths Occur In India!

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New Delhi: We are aware that snakebites cause a lot of damage in India, especially in rural areas.

But did you know that India has the highest number of snakebite cases in the world and accounts for nearly 50 per cent of global snakebite deaths?

A recent study has estimated that there have been 1.2 million snakebite deaths in the country between 2000 and 2019.

The study — conducted by National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, an ICMR laboratory and Maharashtra state public health department — has highlighted that there is a lack of awareness and knowledge about snakes and snakebites as a result of which risks are increasing, especially amongst the tribal population.

The study also identified farmers, labourers, hunters, shepherds, snake rescuers and migrant populations, as well as people with limited access to education and healthcare as high-risk groups for snakebites.

Former ICMR-NIRRH Director Dr Smita Mahale, who is coordinator of snakebite research programmes at ICMR-NIRRH, told The Indian Express that lack of awareness, inadequate knowledge of prevention of snakebite and first-aid, delay in receiving lifesaving treatment (anti-snake venom ASV) and non-availability of trained medical officers to manage snakebite result in a high number of deaths.

World Health Organization (WHO) has classified snakebite envenoming as a high-priority neglected tropical disease.

As per WHO estimates, there are about 5.4 million snakebites globally every year, leading to 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenomings (poisoning from snake bites) and between 80,000 to 1.4 lakh deaths.