Facts about snakebite deaths

Facts about snakebite deaths in India

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2023), about 5.4 million snakebites occur each year, resulting in 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenoming.
• India accounts for approximately half of all global snakebite deaths reported through traditional surveillance systems, and about 2.97 million snakebite incidences occur each year (Gutiérrez et al., 2017)
• India is the global capital of snakebite deaths. Around 58,000 people die annually in India and a further 140,000 incidents lead to various disabilities including limb injuries and amputations. 
• Most snakebite deaths take place during the monsoon season (June – September) 
• Snakebite deaths are largely a rural phenomenon. 
• The burden of snakebite deaths and injuries has serious implications for sustainable development (particularly for targets 3.8 and 3B-D) because they push poor households further into poverty.
• Most harm is caused by four species of venomous snakes, namely the common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), spectacled cobra (Naja naja), Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii), and saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus). 
• Rural populations, tribal communities, farm workers, fisherfolks, herders, children and communities with limited access to education and health care largely carry the burden of snakebite deaths and morbidity. This group of people is known as ‘high-risk group’. 
• Antivenom treatment is the only standard medical care for snakebite deaths. 

Facts about snakebite deaths in Odisha 

• In 2015, Odisha became the first state to declare snakebite deaths as a state-specific disaster. 
• About 75% of deaths occur before reaching hospitals due to mechanical, cultural, and economic barriers (Mohapatra et al., 2011). These deaths are avoidable through effective prevention, treatable and risk governance measures (Ray-Bennett et al., 2023). 
• Flood season in Odisha is notorious for snakebites. 
• Government reports from 2020-2022 reveal 1,888 snakebite deaths across 30 districts, with Ganjam among the highest. 
• In comparison, other disaster deaths include 572 from lightning, 2,546 from drowning, 51 from floods, and 3 from cyclones. Snakebites are the second leading cause of disaster deaths in Odisha.