Kerala declares snakebite envenomation disease of public health importance

The Kerala government has designated snakebite envenomation a disease of "utmost public health importance", a move aimed at enhancing data collection and documentation in response to concerns over fatalities from related incidents.

The significant decision was made under Section 28 of the Kerala Public Health Act, 2023, as per the gazette notification issued on Friday.

Snakebite envenomation is a life-threatening disease caused by the migration of venomous snakes, it said.

"Snakebite envenomation is hereby declared a disease of public health importance throughout the state," said the notification signed by Dr Rajan Khobragade, Additional Chief Secretary (Health).

Any disease, whether communicable or non-communicable, can be declared as a disease of public health importance if the government needs to collect more information about it or if any treatment standards are to be followed in its connection, it said.

If appropriate treatment is not provided in a timely manner, the bite of venomous snakes can lead to the death of the person or health problems that may lead to fatal or permanent disability.

The significant government notification came two weeks after the Kerala High Court issued a slew of directions, including making snakebite cases a notifiable disease and developing more antivenoms, to address the issue of snakebites in schools.

The directives by a division bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Shoba Annamma Eapen came on September 26 while disposing of two petitions highlighting the lack of medical care required for urgent treatment of child victims of snakebite in Kerala.

The petitions were filed in the wake of a schoolgirl's death due to snakebite at a government school in Wayanad district's Sulthan Bathery on November 20, 2019.

Prior to issuing the directions, the bench observed that there was no comprehensive policy to coordinate the role of different departments to address the issue of snakebites in schools.

It also noted many states in India have declared snakebite envenoming as a notifiable disease, making it mandatory to report cases, as without reliable data, policy interventions remain ad hoc.

However, in Kerala, snakebite envenoming has not yet been declared a notifiable disease, the court had said.

It had also directed the state government to take steps to make snakebite cases and deaths a notifiable disease under the Kerala Public Health Act, 2023, as instructed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in November last year, within two months.

In the wake of increased straying of snakes into human habitats, the Kerala Forest Department launched the "SARPA" app to manage human-snake interactions.

Department sources here, however, said the app, launched in 2020, could bring down snakebite incidents to a great extent in the state.