Ghana urged to produce own anti-snake serum to improve management of snakebites
Speakers at a symposium on the management of snake bites have underscored the need for Ghana to undertake its own research into anti-snake serum to address incidents of snake bites in the country.
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According to the speakers, the anti-snake serum imported into the country were sometimes not effective on some of the venoms from the snakes in Ghana due to the difference in snakes.
The speakers were the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare; the Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Professor Kwadwo A. Koram, and the Head of Pharmacy at the Tamale Central Hospital, Mr Sualihu I. Kunguo-Momori.
They made the call at a symposium in Accra intended to equip health personnel with knowledge on snake bites and their management.
It was organised by Pharmanova Limited, a pharmaceutical company in Accra, in collaboration with the NMIMR and Inosan-Biopharma, an anti-venom producer.
The workshop also exposed the 150 participants from various hospitals across the country to new medical products for combating snakebite.
The right anti-snake serum
Prof. Koram said it was time for Ghana to move from managing snake bites with imported anti-snake venoms to researching into the right anti-snake venoms suitable for Ghana.
“We need to move from managing the situation with imported anti-snake venom drugs to conducting research to produce what treats us better,” he stated, and added that the NMIMR had the facility for the research but needed funds to embark on it.
Snake farms
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In his address, Dr Asare emphasised the need for the establishment of snake farms in the country to facilitate research into the right serum for snakebites in Ghana, saying there were lots of snake bite incidents in the country.
He urged Pharmanova Limited to consider establishing a snake farm and taking steps to produce local anti-snake serum for snake bite treatment.
For his part, Mr Kunguo-Momori noted that snake bites were very rampant in the northern part of the country, especially during the rainy season, with about two cases reported weekly.
He said early reporting of snakebites at hospitals could prevent death and complications, but most people died because they resorted to herbal treatment, which was not effective.
He attributed the late reporting of snakebites at hospitals to the myths and superstition regarding snakebite which restricted patients from seeking medical treatment.
Mr Kunguo-Momori also noted that some serums did not work on the victims who presented at hospitals and reiterated the need for the production of Ghana’s own anti-snake venom to suit the kind of venom from snakes in Ghana.
Pharmanova
The Managing Director of Pharmanova Limited, Mr Dhananjay Tripathi, said snake bites were often emergency medical situations that required immediate attention but some of the cases were difficult to handle due to lack of appropriate serums.
While a broad-spectrum anti-snake serum product for healthcare facilities was crucial, he said his company had developed the world’s most advanced anti-snake serum for primary healthcare use and was presently introducing it onto the Ghanaian market.
He said the anti-snake serum was specially made for the West African sub-region to treat the venom of some prevalent snakes.