Snakebites in Africa: Challenges and Solutions

Overview

On 13th December 2016, the Kofi Annan Foundation convened a stakeholder meeting entitled, “Snakebites in Africa: Challenges and Solutions”, to discuss one of todays most neglected global health problems: snakebite-induced death and disability in Sub-Saharan Africa. The issue was first brought to Mr Annan attention by Dr. Rath in the local context of Ghana. In Ghana and across Sub-Saharan Africa, snakebite is a disease which impacts the lives of thousands, mostly the rural poor, and contributes to multiple issues that challenge subsistence agriculture and the overall quality of life in many settings. In order to better understand this challenge and define interventions with short and longer term outputs, the Kofi Annan Foundation convened this meeting of representatives from the scientific community, public health organizations, civil society and philanthropic institutions in Geneva.

From these discussions, the Foundation has prepared this report, summarizing both the discussions held and its own perspective about taking forward solutions to address snakebite in an effective and concerted manner.