The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in India has declared snakebite cases and deaths a “notifiable disease”. This decision comes in the wake of data revealing that around 50,000 deaths in India occur due to an estimated 3-4 million snakebites annually, accounting for half of all snakebite deaths globally. However, these cases are grossly underreported, indicating a much larger problem.
The Union Health Secretary, Punya Salila Srivastava, highlighted the gravity of the issue, stating that snakebites are a significant public health concern, causing mortality, morbidity, and disability. Certain populations, such as farmers and tribal communities, are at a higher risk. In a letter addressed to the Secretaries of Health of all States and Union Territories (UTs), Srivastava urged them to make snakebite cases and deaths a ‘Notifiable Disease’ under the relevant provisions under the State Public Health Act or other applicable legislation.
The letter also called upon all government and private health facilities, including medical colleges, to make it mandatory to report all suspected and probable snakebite cases and deaths. This move is expected to provide valuable data to inform and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, understand the accurate burden, high-risk areas, and factors responsible for deaths of snakebite victims, which would result in improved clinical management of victims.
In March, MoFHW launched the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) to address the issue of snakebite. The action plan aims to halve the snakebite-related deaths by the year 2030. A key objective of NAPSE is to boost the surveillance of snakebite cases and deaths in the country.
The common krait, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper are responsible for about 90 per cent of snakebites in the country. While polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV) is effective in 80 per cent of cases, the lack of trained human resources and health facilities to treat snakebite patients remains a cause of concern. Other major hindrances are the lack of data on incidence, morbidity, mortality, socio-economic burden, treatment patterns, etc.
The shift towards a notifiable disease model for snakebites in India is a significant step towards addressing this public health concern. It aligns with global trends in healthcare, where there is a growing emphasis on prevention and early intervention. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in healthcare is revolutionizing disease prediction and treatment, with potential applications in predicting disease patterns and outcomes, including those related to snakebites.
The adoption of as-a-service models in patient monitoring is another trend that is transforming healthcare delivery. These models offer flexible, subscription-based consumption models, often with full-service packages and regular updates. This approach is particularly relevant in the context of monitoring snakebite cases, where timely intervention can significantly improve patient outcomes.