LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE (LSTM) COLLABORATES WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO LAUNCH THE AFRICAN SNAKEBITE ALLIANCE (ASA).

BY VICTORIA MOVINE

PS ministry of health (second from right) Mary Muriuki, CEO KIPRE Dr. Gichuhi Mwethera (third from right) and LSTM experts during the launch of ASA.

Ministry of Health, through the Kenya Institute of Primate Research (KIPRE) joined forces with Leading snakebite experts from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, and Eswatini on March 13 launched the African Snakebite Alliance (ASA) to tackle deadly snakebite envenoming at KIPRE

 

The ASA is aimed at strengthening the international scientific community by linking up with policymakers and community groups in Africa, aiming to improve health outcomes for people affected by snakebite envenoming and address evidence gaps in policy and practice.

 

The collaboration between these groups will ensure new research leads to changes on the ground as this will be crucial for meeting the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) goal of halving snakebite deaths and disability worldwide by 2030.

ASA members unveiling the alliance's logo.

The ASA members include: Professor David Lalloo and Professor Ymkje Stienstra from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Dr George Omondi from Kenyan Institute of Primate Research, Dr. Janna Schurer from University of Global Health Equity, Dr. John Amuasi from Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Dr. Sara Padidar from Eswatini Antivenom Foundation and Jean Bosco Mbonigaba from Rwanda Biomedical Center

According to statistics given at the launch, snakebite envenoming kills between 81,000 and 138,000 people annually and a further 400,000 surviving victims are left with permanent physical disabilities and disfigurements. 

The statistics further noted that up to one-third of the snakebite deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and individuals affected by snakebite often reside in some of the most disadvantaged rural communities across Africa.

ASA Deputy Director Dr George Omondi from the Kenyan Institute of Primate Research (KIPRE) said: “We are incredibly excited to launch this new alliance dedicated to fostering a robust portfolio of impactful research and policy towards improving health outcomes for snakebite victims.”

 

Due  to lack of global resources to tackle snakebite envenoming, the ASA has set three objectives to fill the research and evidence gap in snakebite envenoming which include: first, to undertake high-quality research relevant to improving health outcomes for people affected by snakebite in Africa, second, to develop systems to support national and regional bodies in Africa to incorporate research evidence into decision-making in policy and practice, and third, to develop and support a sustainable and cross-disciplinary capacity for snakebite research in Africa.

 

The ASA Director Professor Ymkje Stienstra, from LSTM in his remarks stated, “the ASA will pick up clinical and public health research questions based on the input from communities and policymakers. The findings will translate into prevention of snakebites and ways to reduce the damage caused by them.”

Despite the efforts to research on tackling the snakebite burden in Africa, ASA also identified some of the challenges faced when tackling the burden of snakebite in sub-Saharan Africa, including limited funds, lack of relevant data, and from the need to increase engagement with policymakers, all of which will be addressed by the development of the ASA as a research and policy hub.

As well as conducting research, the ASA wants to promote research on snakebite envenoming via open grants, including creating opportunities for postdoctoral researchers in Africa.