In a significant move to address the growing concern over such cases, the Tamil Nadu government has declared snakebite a notifiable disease under the Public Health Act.
The decision is aimed at improving data collection, clinical infrastructure and allocating anti-snake venom to prevent deaths due to snakebites. Hospitals will now be required to report data on snakebites to the state government.
Till June this year, 7,300 snakebite cases were reported in Tamil Nadu and 13 people have died. The number was 19,795 cases with 43 deaths last year and 15,120 cases with 17 deaths in 2022.
Officials said not all cases of snakebite are reported to hospitals, leading to a gap in data collection. While the data is more accurate when it comes to deaths due to snakebites, the government intends to make it more robust so that anti-venom required for treatment can be made available where necessary.
Despite having one of the best healthcare systems in the country, Tamil Nadu has seen cases of a lack of adequate amount of anti-snake venom leading to a delay in treatment and consequent deaths. Officials said they hope this intervention will plug the deficiencies and effectively address this challenge.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a global strategy to control snakebite-induced deaths and disabilities. The national action plan aims to halve snakebite deaths by 2030 through a One Health approach.
