The World Health Organisation, WHO has drawn up a plan to cut the number of people who are killed by snakebites in half, from its current estimated level of up to 138,000 per year.
The United Nation UN health agency said on Tuesday in Geneva Snake poisoning is a neglected disease that is responsible for enormous suffering, disability and premature death on every continent.
The agency said that low-income countries bear an especially large burden.
Every day, some 7,400 people are bitten, and between 220 and 380 die, adding up to about 2.7 million cases of poisoning each year.
An estimated 400,000 people suffer long-term damage annually, including blindness and amputations.
The WHO’s prevention and control strategy to halve the number of lethal cases by 2030 includes engaging local communities.
According to the WHO, children get bitten on their way to school, farmers encounter snakes on their fields, and women face risks when going to the toilet.
