Snakebite: Pharmacists, Senate Advocate Free Anti-venom Drugs, Local Production

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has urged the federal government to make antivenom drugs free and invest in local manufacturing to curb the estimated 2,000 snakebite-related deaths recorded annually in the country.

Also, the Senate on Tuesday urged state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to establish coordinated emergency referral and response systems linking public and private hospitals, following growing concerns over avoidable deaths arising from poorly handled medical emergencies.

The call followed the recent death of Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, who died from neurotoxic complications after a snakebite.

Although the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, stated that antivenom was administered, the ACPN insists that persistent stock-outs, delayed referrals, and high treatment costs continue to expose systemic failures in the country’s emergency care system.

ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Igwekammah Eze, in a statement, condoled with the family of the late singer, describing the incident as a tragic and painful loss. “We mourn with the family and stand in solidarity with all Nigerians who have lost loved ones to preventable causes,” he said.

Eze warned that snakebite envenoming remains one of Nigeria’s most neglected public health emergencies. With more than 20,000 cases recorded annually, he noted that up to 1,700 victims are left with permanent disabilities, including limb amputations, due to tissue death and delayed medical attention.

According to him, the burden falls more on rural dwellers, farmers, herders, women, and children who live far from functional health facilities and often cannot afford treatment costs. Although antivenoms are listed on Nigeria’s Essential Medicines List, many health centres lack the drugs, and victims are trapped in what he described as a deadly “referral trap.”

Eze said any delay, whether due to lack of trained personnel or inability to pay, could be fatal. He stressed that the recurring deaths raise questions about the country’s preparedness despite the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target of reducing snakebite mortality by half by 2030.

To address the crisis, the ACPN called for a one-off federal investment of about $12 million to establish a local antivenom production plant. Nigeria currently spends a similar amount annually on imported vials, which Eze said makes local manufacturing both cost-effective and critical for national security.

The association also wants antivenom treatment fully covered under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), noting that the average treatment cost of ₦40,000 remains unaffordable for many rural Nigerians.

Eze further criticised what he termed “administrative interference” in Drug Revolving Funds (DRFs), warning that their mismanagement contributes to stock-outs of critical emergency medicines.

Findings from the 2026 Global Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) report showed that 98 per cent of Nigerian healthcare workers face severe challenges in accessing antivenoms during emergencies.

As part of its proposed eight-point action plan, the ACPN recommended strengthening primary healthcare centres in rural areas, engaging traditional rulers and healers in prompt referral systems, and intensifying public education to discourage harmful practices such as the use of “black stones,” which often leads to fatal delays.

Eze called for snakebite envenoming to be formally declared a National Health Priority and classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD). With political will and the right investments, he said Nigeria can significantly reduce its current mortality and disability burden.

Lawmakers said the proposed system would ensure rapid access to life-saving medicines, particularly during emergencies such as snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning and drug overdoses, where delays often prove fatal.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Idiat Adebule (Lagos West), titled “Urgent Need for the Federal and State Governments to ensure adequate stocking, availability, and access to life-saving antidotes and emergency medicines in Public and Private Hospitals across Nigeria.”

The motion was prompted by public outrage over the death of a rising Abuja-based singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died after suffering a snakebite and being unable to access antivenom treatment promptly.

Nwangene’s death went viral over the weekend after her choir confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement signed by its Music Director, Sam Ezugwu.

Reports had alleged that she sought urgent care at two hospitals but was left untreated due to the absence of antivenom.

However, the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, where she was eventually taken, said its medical personnel made concerted efforts to save her life, but were unsuccessful.

Raising the motion, Adebule said Nigeria continues to record a disturbing rise in emergency cases requiring immediate medical intervention, lamenting that systemic gaps in hospital preparedness were costing lives.

“Nigeria continues to record increasing cases of medical emergencies, including snakebites, scorpion stings, poisoning, drug overdoses, and other forms of envenomation, all of which require the immediate administration of specific antidotes and emergency medicines in both public and private hospitals in order to prevent avoidable deaths and irreversible health complications,” she said.

She added, “We also note with grave concern the tragic and avoidable death of Miss Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died following a snakebite in Abuja, thereby revealing serious gaps in emergency preparedness and antidote availability within public and private hospitals in Nigeria.”

The Senator noted that the World Health Organisation classifies snakebite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease and stresses the importance of timely access to safe and effective antivenoms, especially in countries like Nigeria where such incidents are common.

Adebule further said the Senate was “concerned that a significant number of public and private hospitals across Nigeria do not stock essential life-saving antidotes such as antivenoms and anti-toxins, or maintain insufficient quantities, leading to dangerous delays in treatment, unnecessary referrals, and preventable loss of lives.”

She also said, “We are concerned that victims of snakebites and other poisoning emergencies are frequently compelled to move from one public hospital to a private hospital, or vice versa, in search of antidotes during the critical ‘golden hour,’ thereby substantially increasing mortality and morbidity rates.”

According to her, “Worried that the absence of mandatory antidote-stocking requirements for private and public hospitals, weak enforcement mechanisms affecting public hospitals, poor supply chain systems, high costs of antidotes, and lack of standard emergency response protocols collectively undermine effective emergency healthcare delivery in public and private hospitals nationwide.

“Convinced that enforcing the mandatory availability, adequate stocking, and equitable distribution of essential antidotes and emergency medicines in both public and private hospitals will significantly reduce preventable deaths, improve emergency response outcomes, and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.”

Following the debate, the Senate called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, working with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, to ensure the procurement, quality assurance, proper storage and nationwide availability of safe, effective and affordable antivenoms and other critical antidotes, with priority given to high-risk regions.

Lawmakers also urged state governments, through their ministries of health and hospital management boards, to immediately audit public and private hospitals to assess compliance with antidote-stocking and emergency preparedness standards.

The Senate further mandated relevant professional and regulatory bodies to strengthen emergency response protocols and require periodic training for healthcare workers on the proper administration of antidotes.

It also called on health regulatory authorities to make the stocking of essential antidotes a mandatory requirement for the licensing, registration and renewal of accreditation of private hospitals, while ensuring adequate budgetary provisions and supply mechanisms for public hospitals.

In addition, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency to embark on nationwide sensitisation campaigns on the need for prompt hospital presentation after snakebites and other poisoning incidents, and the dangers of delayed medical treatment.

Lawmakers also asked the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to strengthen provisions of the National Building Code by making Non-Return Valves mandatory in buildings to prevent snakes and rodents from entering homes through drainage systems.