Community Pharmacists Call for Free Antivenom, Local Production to Curb Snakebite Deaths in Nigeria
Community pharmacists in Nigeria have renewed calls on the Federal Government to make antivenom freely available nationwide and invest in local production to reduce thousands of preventable snakebite deaths recorded each year.
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) made the appeal following the recent death of Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene. In a statement issued on Tuesday, ACPN National Chairman, Mr Ambrose Eze, described the incident as a tragic reminder of the country’s fragile response to snakebite emergencies.
Eze noted that snakebite envenoming remains one of Nigeria’s most neglected public health challenges, despite causing over 20,000 cases annually. He said more than 2,000 deaths and about 1,700 cases of permanent disability are recorded every year, with rural dwellers, farmers, herders, women and children most affected.
According to the association, delays in accessing lifesaving antivenom—often due to stock-outs, high costs and referral bottlenecks—continue to expose critical gaps in the healthcare system. Eze warned that any delay caused by cost or lack of trained personnel could prove fatal.
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The ACPN urged the Federal Government to declare snakebite envenoming a National Health Priority and classify it as a Neglected Tropical Disease. It also called for antivenoms to be covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme to reduce the average N40,000 treatment cost.
The association further advocated local antivenom manufacturing, noting that Nigeria spends significant sums annually on imports. It also criticised administrative interference in hospital Drug Revolving Funds, linking it to persistent medicine shortages.
With stronger political will, strategic investment and coordinated action, the ACPN said snakebite-related deaths and disabilities could be drastically reduced.