By our reporter 3.2.2026
As the death of up-and-coming singer Ifunanya Nwangene continues to dominate discussions the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) said the federal government should strive to make anti-venom drugs freely available and invest in local production.
The ACPN said that about 2,000 Nigerians die every year from preventable snakebite complications. The association’s president Ambrose Igwekammah Eze said Tuesday that Ifunanya’s death was a reminder how urgent was the need to stock the hospitals with anti-venom.
He submitted that Nigeria largely depends on donor-supported anti-venom supplies but must now build a sustainable local manufacturing system to protect lives and align with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target of cutting snakebite deaths by half by 2030.
According to Eze snakebite should be treated as a public health emergency, noting that Nigeria records more than 20,000 cases annually.
He said about 1,700 victims are left with permanent disabilities each year, including amputations caused by tissue damage and delayed treatment.
He added that rural residents, farmers, herders, women and children are most affected, largely due to long distances to healthcare facilities and the high cost of treatment.
He also raised concerns that despite anti-venoms being listed on the National Essential Medicines List and backed by national treatment guidelines, fatalities continue to rise, casting doubt on the real-world availability and accessibility of quality-assured products.
As part of its recommendations, the ACPN called for a one-off government investment of about $12 million to establish a local anti-venom production facility.
“I am confident that in the near future, deaths and disabilities resulting from snakebites will become largely preventable and ultimately a thing of the past,” Eze added.
Meanwhile the Senate passed a resolution Tuesday for the Federal Capitol Territory and the States to establish coordinated emergency referral and response systems linking public and private hospitals.
According to the Senate there has been an increase in cases of envenomation including drug overdose and poisoning in the country.