NEW DELHI: India bears the highest burden of snakebite deaths globally, driven by high snake density, vast rural populations, and widespread reliance on traditional healers, according to the latest global report.
The report said that India reports an estimated 58,000 deaths annually, but the impact is especially severe among poor and indigenous communities, where access to quality healthcare remains limited.
“Delays in treatment due to faith in traditional medicine; lack of quality control among some domestic antivenom producers; and high out-of-pocket costs, especially in informal care settings,” said the report, ‘Time to Bite Back: Catalyzing a Global Response to Snakebite Envenoming,’ which was released at the recently concluded 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva by Global Snakebite Taskforce, the strategic arm of the Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) – a global campaign aimed at raising awareness and mobilising action to reduce deaths and disabilities from snakebite envenoming.
The report, which highlights the critical need for action against the ‘devastating and preventable human toll of snakebite envenoming,’ said India, which bears the highest individual burden globally, has launched and is implementing a National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE).
However, the report, which tracks progress towards the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target of halving deaths and disabilities from snakebite envenoming by 2030 and calls on the global community to accelerate action, said that despite India’s progress, challenges persist.
According to Dr Yogesh Jain, a leading public health physician, who is also one of the authors of the report, India is still failing to prevent needless snakebite deaths.
"The healthcare system is simply not equipped to respond - doctors often lack the training, tools, and confidence to treat cases effectively, and many facilities can’t even manage basic infections, let alone a time-critical emergency like snakebite,” he told TNIE.
“Poverty compounds the problem: when care isn’t free or accessible, people turn to faith healers or other ineffective options. Public awareness is low - many don’t even realise snakebites can be fatal, which delays treatment,” he added.
Dr Jain, who founded and runs the community health program Jan Swasthya Sahyog (People’s Health Support Group) in Chhattisgarh, said even when patients do reach a clinic, the polyvalent antivenom available only covers a handful of the 35 venomous species and is effective in about 80% of cases, and adverse effects are rather common.
"That makes doctors hesitant to use it, often referring patients to distant hospitals, wasting precious time. The information system is also broken, meaning we lack the data and surveillance systems needed to track and respond to cases effectively,” he added.
"Despite decades of experience, we’re still failing to prevent needless deaths. The system needs urgent reform. Because snakebite is not just a medical issue, it’s a solvable injustice,” Dr Jain said, adding that efforts to improve healthcare should not be fragmented or piecemeal, and need comprehensive investment in financing, infrastructure (from medical equipment to road networks) and access to antivenom for those most economically disadvantaged.
India last year declared snakebite as a notifiable disease to reduce the burden, as the country contributes to nearly 50 per cent of global snakebite deaths and is considered the snakebite capital of the world.
The report highlighted a 2023 assessment of India's challenges in reducing snakebite. This assessment revealed that most primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CGCs) across India lack the minimum structural capacity required for effective snakebite care.
It also highlighted low public awareness, inconsistent antivenom quality, and poor transport infrastructure among the challenges.
“Promising innovations such as low-cost biologics and AI-based snake identification tools are being piloted, but their success depends on broader health system strengthening. The Indian experience demonstrates the need in high-incidence countries for a comprehensive, system-wide approach to reduce the burden of snakebite,” the report added.
The report said Indian government and academic partners have launched several key initiatives, including a National Snakebite Management Strategy with devolved state-level implementation, development of region-specific antivenoms and venom variation mapping, training for rural clinicians and first responders, and integration of snakebite into digital health reporting systems.
Dr Jain further said the report provides a comprehensive overview of the global snakebite burden, outlining the challenges and potential solutions, including successful community-based models.
“Snakebite deaths continue to be a significant public health challenge. Given that a victim can succumb to a snakebite within just two hours, a well-functioning healthcare system is crucial for effective intervention. As a South Asian, strengthening health care systems is more important than investment in R&D,” he added.
Snakebite envenoming (SBE) was formally recognised by the WHO as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) in 2017.
Each year, an estimated 5.4 million people suffer snakebites, resulting in 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenoming and 81,000 to 138,000 deaths globally, said the report.
For every death, up to four survivors may suffer long-term disabilities such as amputations, contractures, blindness, and disfigurement.
SBE is estimated to cause up to 400,000 cases of permanent disability annually and over 1 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia combined.