Although it is not known how many of these bites resulted in deaths, persons between the ages 20 and 34 years suffer the most bites.

The average number of bites per year show that the Upper West Region had the highest of 1,425 bites followed by Ashanti Region with 1,161 bites, Eastern Region with 987 bites, Central Region with 897 bites and Northern Region recording 799 bites

Dr John H. Amuasi, Executive Director, of the African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases made this known at a media briefing ahead of World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day which falls on January 30.

He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) had included snakebite envenoming in the NTDs as it results in enormous suffering, disability and premature death on every continent.

According to him, in 2019, for the first time in five years, the Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of 1,535 bites.

Dr Amuasi indicated that when the population size of each region is taken into consideration, “even in 2019, we calculated 114 bites for every 100,000 persons in the Upper West Region followed by the Savannah with 103 for every 100,000 persons while the North East and the Western North regions tied at 64 for every 100,000 persons.”

Collaboration

The research, Dr Amuasi said, was a collaboration between the Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research Group of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), based at the Kwame Nkrumah School of Public Health and the Ghana Health Service.

The work done so far has made use of data from Ghana’s District Health Information Management System (DHIMS) and other sources, hence these figures are not likely to provide the actual incidence and distribution of snakebites in the country because they rely on only figures recorded at government health facilities

Ghana’s progress

Dr Amuasi noted that a number of factors were slowing down Ghana’s progress in addressing snakebite envenoming.

High on the list was that anti-venoms, which are highly effective treatments, and covered by the NHIS, were not always available and accessible.

Even when they are found on the market, they are sometimes unaffordable as they cost about $100 for a vial, and victims may need a minimum of three and a maximum of eight vials for effective treatment.

In addition to the phenomenon of ineffective or sub-standard anti-venoms, the unavailability of simple laboratory equipment, lack of reliable data on the types and distribution of snakes and the burden of snakebites and lack of protective gear (particularly wellington boots) for farmers in rural areas continue to threaten efforts to provide quality treatment for snakebites.

Furthermore, he said, there was a lack of community involvement and education on appropriate first aid for snakebites, resulting in poor clinical outcomes for victims and seeking of ineffective and sometimes harmful alternative treatments.

Traditional care

The Senior Medical Officer of the St. Theresa’s hospital in Nandom in the Upper West Region, Dr Sebastian Yidana Ninimiya, noted that the problem of snakebite poisoning was under reported as majority of the victims sought care from traditional healers and ended up dying in the communities.

“Most of those who report to medical facilities also come when its too late. Unfortunately some of them die, while others end up with amputated limbs, which affects their social lives.’ Dr Ninimiya stated.

Anti-snake venom

The Government Adviser on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah- Asare, indicated that the research will inform the procurement and distribution of anti-snake venom for the country.

He said currently anti-snake venom was free and the country was exploring how to effectively distribute the venom to where they are most needed, using the medical drones.

“Every snake has a specific anti- snake venom and sometimes though anti-venom may be available, they may still not be effective,’ Dr Nsiah-Asare explained.

He stated that Ghana was considering, as a long term measure, the production of its own anti-snake venom to ensure that the right type is always available for the use of patients.

The National Programme Manager for NTDs, Dr. Benjamin Aboagye Marfo, said the major index of NTDs was poverty.

He said the strategies being used to address NTDs are mass drug administration, morbidity control and management and health education.