Pharmacists Sound Alarm Over Snakebite Crisis Following Tragic Death of Singer Ifunanya Nwangene
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has issued an urgent call for local production of snake antivenoms following the tragic death of Abuja-based singer Ifunanya Nwangene. The association described this incident as a painful reminder of Nigeria's longstanding failure to address what they term a neglected public health emergency that claims thousands of lives annually.
Nigeria's Heavy Reliance on Imported Antivenoms
According to ACPN National Chairman Ambrose Eze, Nigeria currently spends nearly $12 million annually importing snake antivenom vials, a system he characterized as both unsustainable and dangerously inadequate. Eze emphasized that redirecting these substantial funds toward domestic manufacturing would dramatically improve availability, significantly reduce costs, and ultimately save thousands of Nigerian lives, particularly in rural communities where snakebite incidents are most prevalent.
The pharmacists' body revealed that Nigeria records approximately 2,000 preventable snakebite deaths every year, despite snakebite envenoming being a treatable condition when quality antivenom is administered promptly. Eze stressed that Nigeria must transition away from donor-dependent supply chains and embrace pharmaceutical self-sufficiency, aligning with the World Health Organization's ambitious goal of halving snakebite-related deaths globally by 2030.
Prohibitive Treatment Costs and Healthcare Gaps
Eze disclosed that treating a snakebite in Nigeria costs an average of ₦40,000, an amount that remains prohibitively expensive for most rural dwellers who face the highest risk of snake attacks. He urgently appealed to the federal government to fully incorporate antivenoms under the National Health Insurance Authority scheme, highlighting that the current lack of financial protection consistently delays critical treatment and worsens medical outcomes for victims.
"Even short delays in administering antivenom can mean the difference between survival and death," Eze cautioned, underscoring the time-sensitive nature of effective snakebite treatment.
Disproportionate Impact on Rural Communities
The ACPN chairman described snakebite envenoming as one of Nigeria's most neglected health crises, disproportionately affecting subsistence farmers, herders, women, and children living far from functional healthcare facilities. Beyond the tragic fatalities, an estimated 1,700 Nigerians suffer permanent disabilities annually from snakebites, including limb amputations resulting from tissue necrosis and delayed medical intervention.
These long-term injuries, according to Eze, deepen existing poverty cycles, disrupt livelihoods, and place additional strain on families already struggling to survive in challenging economic conditions.
Systemic Failures in Emergency Response
Eze stated that Nwangene's death at the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi has brought renewed attention to systemic failures in Nigeria's medical referral systems and essential drug availability. While the hospital confirmed that antivenom was administered in this particular case, the ACPN maintains that frequent stock-outs at primary healthcare facilities and delayed referrals continue to expose patients to avoidable risks nationwide.
The pharmacists noted that Nigeria already has national treatment guidelines and includes antivenoms on the National Essential Medicines List, yet access remains profoundly uneven and unreliable across different regions of the country.
Urgent Calls for Comprehensive Intervention
The ACPN emphasized the critical need for sustained public education campaigns to discourage harmful traditional practices, such as using so-called black stones, which often delay proper hospital treatment and worsen medical complications. Eze concluded that without urgent, coordinated investment in local production capabilities, comprehensive insurance coverage, trained medical manpower, and widespread public awareness initiatives, Nigeria will continue losing precious lives to a condition that is both preventable and medically treatable with appropriate resources.
The Federal Ministry of Health has acknowledged public concerns surrounding Nwangene's death, describing the incident as tragic while supporting the medical response provided by Federal Medical Centre Jabi. The ministry has urged restraint amid growing social media commentary while affirming that the hospital acted within established professional standards when treating the patient who arrived with complications from a snakebite.
