Kerala unveils action plan to end snakebite deaths by 2030
Kerala has launched a comprehensive action plan to eliminate snakebite-related deaths and disabilities by 2030. The strategy includes a tiered referral system, improved anti-snake venom management, and the declaration of snakebite as a notifiable disease.
Why it matters
This is a significant public health initiative aimed at reducing mortality in rural and agricultural communities through systemic medical reform.
Kerala has unveiled a State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (SAPSE), setting a target of zero snakebite deaths and disabilities by 2030—a goal the government says is aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) and national targets, and backed by “unwavering political commitment.”
The plan, which has been built on the ‘One Health’ platform, focuses on strengthened primary care, improving emergency care facilities, enhanced surveillance and community awareness and intersectoral coordination, to address snakebite envenoming, which affects rural, tribal and agricultural communities in the State. An estimated 8,000 snakebite incidents are reported every year in the State.
Kerala has already taken the significant administrative step required to put this plan into action by declaring snakebite as a notifiable disease under the Kerala Public Health Act, so that there is a real estimation of the magnitude of the problem.
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