Shimla, March 3 The Himachal Pradesh government has declared snakebite envenomation (poisoning) a notifiable disease in the state, in line with the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) in India by 2030, a statement issued here on Tuesday said.
A state government notification issued last week by the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, directed all health facilities – both public and private – and medical practitioners to report all suspected cases of snakebites and deaths to the respective public health authority.
This will help in tracking snakebite incidents, identify high-risk areas for deploying resources like anti-snake venom, and identify factors contributing to the deaths of snakebite victims, resulting in improved clinical management of snakebite cases, the notification said.
Dr Omesh Bharti, a member of a World Health Organization (WHO) expert panel on snakebite poisoning, and also a member of the national task force on prevention and control of snakebites, said on Tuesday that the notification mandating reporting of snakebite cases and deaths is a significant step towards prevention and control of snakebite poisoning in the state.
Snakebite has been a neglected tropical disease and claims around 50,000 lives in India annually due to persistent gaps in the management of snakebites, both socially and medically.
According to an estimate, around 100 deaths occur due to snakebites in Himachal every year.
Although health authorities claim that snakebite deaths have drastically decreased in India as per a new survey of 13 states across the country, including Himachal Pradesh, snakebites still remain a challenge in the rural parts of the state.
Most of the people bitten by snakes prefer to go to traditional 'healers', delaying medical care, thus resulting in the worsening of the patient's condition.
Furthermore, doctors at lower health facilities are often apprehensive about treating snakebite victims due to lack of proper equipment and training, and refer the patients to higher facilities, further delaying treatment.
By declaring snakebite envenoming a notifiable disease, existing gaps can be streamlined and deaths can be further reduced through policy intervention, as it will generate accurate data about the incidence and deaths from snakebites, Dr Bharti said, adding that this will help in mapping the snakebite hotspots in Himachal for targeted action.
The National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming was launched two years ago, urging states to make snakebite poisoning a notifiable disease and draft state action plans in this regard.
It was launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under section 12 (1) (iii) and 42 of the Clinical Establishment (Registration & Regulation) Act, 2010.
More than 10 states have heeded the call, making snakebite a notifiable disease, with the Himachal government already in the process of drafting a state action plan for the prevention and control of snakebite poisoning, the statement said.