June 30, 2017
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
The African Society of Venimology, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD-France) and Institut Pasteur welcome WHO’s Decision to add Snakebites to Category A of the List of Neglected Tropical Diseases
The decision by the World Health Organization to recognize snakebite envenomation in Category A of its list of Neglected Tropical Diseases provides a welcome opportunity to strengthen snakebite care strategies, particularly in Africa.
More than one million snakebites occur each year in sub-Saharan Africa. Envenomations are estimated to cause 25,000-30,000 deaths per year in the region, plus a similar number of permanent disabilities. The long-awaited WHO decision will considerably improve the treatment of envenomations by promoting access to antivenoms and their use in health centers, even those from the most remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa.