By George Morara
Kenya has moved a step closer to avert the burden of deadly snakebites in the country with the first signs that a locally produced anti-venom could be in the shelves of chemists by the end of the year.
Excitement is already high since the government moved to put up a Snake Antivenom Production Facility at the Kenya Institute of Primate Research (KIPRE) in May this year at a cost of Sh1.8 billion.
This move according to Dr. Peter Mwethera, KIPRE Director General, was occasioned by the high number of cases of snakebites, which has seen 4, 000 people die annually with 8, 000 others surviving the deadly bites from 20, 000 cases every year.
“And this is not to mention the compensation that has to go into the human wildlife conflict due to the snakebites,” Dr. Mwethera told journalists yesterday during the conclusion of a three-day International Biomedical and Biotechnology Conference themed; “Transforming Health through Innovative Research,” at a Nairobi hotel.
The event was jointly organised by KIPRE, the African International Biomedical and Biotechnology Consortium (AIBBC), and Mount Kenya University (MKU).
He explained that after realizing that the antivenoms that are available, despite being important, they are not potent enough to address the fatal snakebites.
“We decided to use science to address this because a lot of the antivenoms available in the country are all coming from Europe and India. But they are not based on the starting materials from Kenya,” he said, emphasizing that the need to use science was basically meant to improve the efficacy of how effective those antivenoms are.
In May this year, the government gave KIPRE close to Sh2 billion to construct a state-of-the-art snake antivenom manufacturing plant.
“And I’m very happy that the government has actually put in money and we want to confirm that we are going to put in the first antivenom before the end of the year,” he said.
This is an antivenom that is going to avert a lot of deaths, and disfiguration, Dr. Mwethera added.
He also highlighted that the facility represents a major advancement in Kenya’s healthcare infrastructure, shifting from imported antivenoms to domestic production of life-saving serums tailored to local snake species.
Dr. Mwethera said that by eliminating dependence on foreign manufacturers, Kenya will now be able to ensure that there’s a year-round availability of effective antivenoms; affordable treatment for rural communities, standardized quality control for all sera, and reduced snakebite mortality rates.
Health experts emphasize this initiative will particularly benefit agricultural workers and pastoralists in snake-prone regions, where delayed or improper treatment currently leads to preventable deaths and permanent disabilities.
“With the support from the national government, the institute will release the first batch of antivenom by the end of the year,” he added.
Public Health and Professional Standards PS, Mary Muthoni, lauded the development as a milestone in research that will help Kenya advance its quest for affordable and accessible Universal Health Coverage.
“Research should improve the health and dignity of every individual. It should prioritise the immediate needs of the people and help solve the problems they face in their daily lives. The confirmation by KIPRE that we will have the first locally produced antivenom by the end of the year is a clear indicator that the One Health approach was the best way to go,” she said.
The conference, Muthoni said comes at a time when the region’s health landscape is dynamic, where its residents are facing dual burdens in terms of diseases, persistent infectious threats alongside a rising tide of non-communicable diseases in the country.
“You have seen what is happening, and not just Kenya, this is global. We have issues to do with climate change, mental health, health effects of global pandemics that are there.
“However, what we are saying today is there are many things that we need to do so that we are able to be at par and to be globally acceptable to the levels and standards of the global scene,” she said, noting that one of these aspects is the issue of pathogens and preparedness as a country.
The One Health agenda for instance, she said where the region has to Health is where we have to deal with human, animals, and collaborations across environmental sectors.
