Showing an increasing trend of death from snakebite, more than 6000 people die from the bite of venomous snakes every year in the country. On average 16 people die from snakebite per day in the country which has become a silent concern yet snakebites are not considered a major health problem in Bangladesh, according to a report by World Health Organization (WHO).
The United Nations (UN) agency on public health revealed the data titled “Snakebite envenoming: A strategy of prevention, control and way forward for Bangladesh,” A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous one. Every year millions of people around the world die from snakebites. These deaths are due to lack of medical treatment and wrong medication.
This bite can cause bleeding, kidney failure, a severe allergic reaction, tissue death around the bite, or breathing problems. Bites may result in the loss of a limb or other chronic problems. The WHO data shows that around 5.5 million people are bite off by snakes around the world every year, 150,000 of whom die from it.
According to the report, the number of snakebite occurrences is higher in rural areas than urban areas. The majority of snakebite victims are of young age, the report further says. The study avows, 68% of snakebite victims in Bangladesh receive some form of treatment within two hours of being bitten, but only 3% have directly gone to either a doctor or a hospital.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said many people were dying from snakebite every year, and the issue could no longer be ignored. “Due to negligence, deforestation and urbanization, people are invading the natural habitats of snakes. Losing their habitats, snakes are entering human areas, which is causing the rise in snakebites,” the health minister stressed.
“Snakes are an important part of the environment, and killing them will gravely affect the ecology. We have to be careful so we do not destroy the ecological balance,” he further added. The minister said the government had taken initiatives to store Antivenom in hospitals at district level, but it is also necessary to stock Antivenom in upazila health complexes, as the number of people getting bitten by snakes is higher in rural areas.
In this regard, environmental activist Shmsul Alam said proper training for doctors and nurses must be ensured so that they can use the Antivenom properly. But, most importantly, people must be made aware so they can avoid getting attacked by snakes. Patients need to be given the correct medication as soon as possible after the snakebite. The medicine is made from snake venom. As a result, different varieties are needed to treat snake bites of different species. As a result, identifying the right and correct Antivenom is often very difficult and very expensive, he added.
