A new study published in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases Journal found that most of the anti-venoms used in Kenya are not highly effective against snakebites.
A new study published in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases Journal found that most of the anti-venoms used in Kenya are not highly effective against snakebites. The research was conducted on mouse models.
Researchers in the country are also working on heat stable anti-venom which can be effectively stored in remote healthcare centres that lack refrigeration facilities in high risk snakebite regions such as Kitui, Baringo and West Pokot.
When Mary Atieno was bitten by a snake three years ago, she hoped to get an effective antidote that would clear the venom. She was unlucky. Her badly affected leg had to be amputated.
Mary is among the many Kenyans who suffer from lifelong consequences of snakebite injuries as a result of healthcare gaps in the treatment and management of the condition.
A new study published in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases Journal found that most of the anti-venoms used in Kenya are not highly effective against snakebites. The research was conducted on mouse models.
“We found that not all anti-venoms in the market have the required efficacy. Some were good for some snakes but not effective for others. And some didn’t work well for all snakes which is really serious,” said Dr George Omondi, a snake expert at the Institute of Primate Research (IPR) who co-authored the study.
He noted that ineffective snakebite treatments can cause adverse health effects in patients and even lead to death. Those who survive end up living with permanent physical disabilities which take a toll on their social wellbeing and economic productivity. “Health experts should be careful when buying anti-venoms to ensure that they stock recommended quality,” said Dr Robert Harrison of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine based in the United Kingdom and the lead author of the study.
Just like in other sub-Saharan Africa countries, ineffective anti-venoms have been making their way into the Kenyan market because of lack of stringent mechanisms of screening them.
This is because snakebite incidents, which tend to affect the poorest and most vulnerable people in society, have been ignored for long hence crippling investment and global focus on the condition that kills an estimated 32,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa each year whilst leaving another 100,000 with permanent disabilities.
It is only recently that the condition begun getting renewed attention after the World Health Organisation (WHO) included it in its Category ‘A’ list of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
Following the declaration, WHO is setting up a pre-qualification system to vet the efficacy of anti-venom medicines imported into Africa so as to recommend those of high quality to country governments. As a WHO collaborative centre, the IPR has set up the Kenya Snakebite Research and Intervention Centre — the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa — which will play a key role in this initiative and help Kenya procure effective snake treatment.
Dr Sultan Matendechero, head of the NTD programme at the Ministry of Health, said that the centre will also facilitate the development of locally produced anti-venoms which, aside from being specific to snake species found in the country, will also be affordable and thus accessible to needy Kenyans.
He said that most anti-venoms in the country are less effective because they were extracted from snakes found in other countries, especially Asia, which differ from those prevalent in Kenya.
Side effects increases
The treatments are also broad spectrum and thus general. They are designed to neutralise venom from all types of snakes hence they are not particular.
“When the target is broad, the effectiveness of the drug reduces and the side effects increase. This is bad for patients. That’s why we want to produce anti-venoms that will be specific to snakes found in particular geographical zones of the country.”
Researchers in the country are also working on heat stable anti-venom which can be effectively stored in remote healthcare centres that lack refrigeration facilities in high risk snakebite regions such as Kitui, Baringo and West Pokot.
In Kenya, over 17,000 snakebite incidents are reported each year, according to government statistics. But Dr Matendechero noted that the cases could be more as the problem is under-reported.
He cautioned Kenyans against seeking treatment from ‘‘traditional experts’’ who claim to cure snakebites through crude methods like the black stone , which is believed to heal patients by absorbing poison from their bodies.
“These things don’t work. People are usually brought to hospitals when it’s too late to neutralise the effects of the venom. So they die or suffer from irreversible damage to their muscles or nervous systems.”
Some of the most poisonous snakes in the country include cobras, vipers, black mambas and puff adders.
PAYE Tax Calculator
Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
