Ghana records average of 9,900 snakebites annually

The country recorded 59,600 snakebite cases between 2015 and 2020, the first time such data has been put together.

The ASA is an organisation aimed at transforming snakebite research fields by linking the international scientific community with local policy and community actors.

Amuasi, said achieving the 2019 WHO roadmap of halving snakebite deaths and disability worldwide by 2030 was considerably hampered by the lack of high-quality research evidence to inform policy and practice.

He said the objectives of the ASA were to undertake high-quality research relevant to improving health outcomes for people affected by snakebite in Africa; develop systems to support national and regional bodies in Africa to incorporate research evidence into decision-making in policy and planning and develop and support a sustainable and cross-disciplinary capacity for snakebite research in Africa.

Dr Amuasi, who is also the Leader of the Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research Group of the KCCR, said as part of their work, they would be giving out small grants to other researchers who wanted to conduct any kind of research into snakebite and also ensure that the research findings were translated into policies.

A representative of the WHO Ghana Office, Dr Angela Ackon, described snakebite as a neglected public health issue in many tropical and sub-tropical countries, adding that while highly effective treatments existed, antivenoms were not widely available in the regions where they were needed, pointing out the main challenge to be the preparation of the correct snake venoms.

The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, said most cases of snakebite were recorded from March to June and October to November of every year, which were the major and minor farming seasons.