ABSTRACT:
Snake Bite Envenoming is a neglected disease and kills more victims than all other NTDs put together. SBE is by far the largest cause for animal-human conflict and is also a major cause for loss of livestock. Over 50% of global mortality and morbidity related to SBE occurs in India as per WHO estimates with 58000 deaths annually. This as compared to the US and Australia with equally venomous species, where the mortality recorded annually is in the single digit. Recognizing the scale of the problem, WHO has aligned SBE reduction with the Sustainable Development Goals, setting a target to reduce deaths and disability from SBE by 50% by 2030. There have been a number of successful models both hospital-based and in the community, across India, in prevention and treatment of SBE. These include the use of gum-boots during agricultural activities, use of mosquito nets (which help prevent krait bite), use of torch at night, keeping homes pest/ rodent free, and community models of treatment (CHC-Demow), ASV infused in ambulances while in transit, digital technology enabled treatment and prevention, community awareness programs for students, general population, forest department, snake- handlers, community health workers etc. Building on these successes, we have co-developed and implemented a composite, scalable community-based model to reduce SBE incidence and improve outcomes. The intervention will be implemented in two blocks each across seven Indian states: Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, and Jharkhand. Key strategies include training community volunteers, developing context-specific information, education and communication (IEC) materials, distributing protective equipment, enabling ASV infusion during patient transport, and deploying digital applications for awareness, coordination, and snake identification. Expected outcomes include reduced incidence of snakebites, improved health-seeking behaviour, faster response times, better first aid and transport, and stronger coordination between communities and health systems.