Centre Urges States to Notify Snakebite Cases

Why in the news?

The Union Health Ministry has asked states to classify snakebites as a notifiable disease to enhance surveillance, reduce fatalities, and improve treatment through better antivenom distribution and training.

Centre Urges States to Notify Snakebite Cases

Government Push to Make Snakebites Notifiable:

  • The Union Health Ministry has urged states to classify snakebites as a notifiable disease, requiring mandatory reporting from public and private hospitals.
  • Annually, India reports 3–4 million snakebite cases and around 58,000 deaths, as highlighted by the 2020 Indian Million Death Study.
  • The National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) launched earlier this year aims to halve snakebite deaths by 2030, recommending snakebites be made notifiable.

Reasons for Declaring Snakebites Notifiable

  • Notifiable diseases typically involve infections that may cause outbreaks, deaths, or need urgent public health intervention.
  • Snakebites cause severe emergencies such as paralysis, fatal hemorrhages, and tissue damage, requiring immediate treatment with antivenoms.
  • Making snakebites notifiable will enhance surveillance, provide accurate data on cases and fatalities, ensure better antivenom distribution, and enable targeted training for healthcare workers in high-risk areas.

About Snake Bites:

  • Epidemiology: India leads globally with over 58,000 snakebite deaths annually (WHO).
  • High-Risk Areas: Cases are concentrated in rural, agricultural, and forested regions.

About Notifiable Diseases in India

  • Definition: Diseases legally required to be reported for monitoring and response (e.g., cholera, tuberculosis).
  • Declaration Authority: States declare; the Centre recommends.

Impacts of Notification

  • Improved Surveillance: Tracks cases and fatalities accurately.
  • Resource Allocation: Enables targeted interventions and outbreak prevention.
  • Mandatory Reporting: Non-compliance entails legal penalties.
  • Global Collaboration: Aligns with WHO’s health regulations.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times