UK university academic is lending expertise to cut India’s snakebite deaths

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Health

Context:

India has the biggest burden of deaths due to snakebites in the world, with most of the cases in rural India.

Death due to snakebite in India:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 81,410 to 137,880 people around the world die each year because of snakebites.
With more than 50,000 people dying from snakebites each year, India is the global capital of snakebite deaths.
WHO formally listed snakebite envenoming as a highest-priority neglected tropical disease in June 2017.
In 2015, India ratified the WHO’s Snakebite Envenoming Strategy for Prevention and Control through the National Action Plan, along with the United Nations’ Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for halving the number of deaths by 2030.

Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN):

It is a diverse, dynamic, inclusive and innovative global membership network dedicated to avoiding human deaths from natural hazards, naturally triggered technological hazards and human-made disasters in low- and middle-income countries.
In 2023, it launched a global campaign, declaring 12 March as the ‘International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths’ (IAD4AD). Their campaign slogan is ‘Disaster Deaths Are Avoidable’ with the ultimate goal of saving lives. This global campaign aims to raise the visibility of indirect disaster deaths and missing persons. Join us to celebrate this day annually.
Experts from the ADN have set up a pilot study to prevent death from snakebite in Burujhari village in Odisha.
Their suggestions to reduce the deaths due to snakebite is- setting up early warning system for snakes, positioning motorcycles and ambulances to transport snakebite victims to the nearest hospital, developing a risk governance infrastructure