Nigeria records 20,000 cases of snake bites, 2,000 deaths annually — Mamora

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The Federal Government has said Nigeria records an average of 15,000 to 20,000 cases of snakebite every year.

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This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, during a press briefing organised by the ministry to mark this year’s International Snakebite Awareness Day on Monday.

According to a recent survey, snakebites in the country occurred at 479 cases per 100,000 people.

“Nigeria records an average of 15,000 to 20,000 cases of snakebite every year, with about 2,000 people killed and between 1,700 and 2,000 people whose legs or arms are amputated to save their lives after snakebite.

“States with the most cases of snakebite in the country are Gombe, Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Nasarawa, Enugu, Kogi, Kebbi, Oyo, Benue and Taraba,” he said.

He called for renewed vigour to ensure strong partnerships among member states, development partners, donors and other stakeholders for snakebite management.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mahmoud Mamman, said from 2018 to December 2020, over 45,834 cases of snakebite and 1,793 deaths were reported in Nigeria.

He added that some cases still remained unreported because they were not taken to any health facility.

Adama/Punch

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