Nigeria needs N32 billion to equip PHCs with anti-venom

Nigeria requires an estimated N32.2 billion to equip its 30,000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) with life-saving anti-venom, according to an analysis by BusinessDay. This estimate is based on prices ranging from N180,000 to N250,000 per dose, assuming each patient receives an average of three doses.

The funding gap highlights a critical weakness in the country’s rural health infrastructure, where snakebites claim thousands of lives annually due to a lack of immediate treatment.

The urgency for rural medical supplies was underscored by the recent death of Martha Ejembi, a 52-year-old peanut farmer from Benue State. She was bitten by a snake after concluding the day’s work. Ejembi was rushed to the nearest Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in her community, but help was not forthcoming. She was later referred to a General Hospital at the Okpokwu Local Government Area headquarters. Due to the late presentation and complications that had already developed, she died during a third-tier referral to Abuja.

“My mother’s condition worsened as we kept moving from one hospital to another. She died on our way to Abuja,” said Patience Ejembi, a registered nurse and Martha’s daughter.

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Her story is not unique. Every year, Nigeria records about 43,000 snakebite cases, with approximately 1,900 fatalities and about 2,000 amputations, according to reports from the Toxicological Society of Nigeria.

These cases disproportionately affect people in rural communities, particularly farmers and individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds, highlighting the need for PHCs to be adequately equipped to manage snakebite cases, experts say.

“The people most affected by snake bites are from low socio-economic classes, particularly farmers, traders, and residents of rural communities who lack political representation,” stated Nicholas Amani, Medical Director at the Snakebite Treatment and Research Hospital in Kaltungo, Gombe State.

Helen Archibong, another health expert, emphasised the critical role PHCs play in snakebite care. “PHCs are the first point of contact for patient care in rural communities,” she noted.

About 50 percent of hospitals in rural Nigeria lack the capacity to manage snakebite cases, despite the country having 29 snake species, 41 percent of which are venomous, according to the global Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) initiative.

Financial and global barriers

Equipping PHCs is a massive financial undertaking. With anti-venom doses costing between ₦180,000 and ₦250,000 each, and complex cases requiring up to five doses, the cost of protection is steep. Taken together, it could cost between N23.2 billion and N32.2 billion to equip 30,000 of these facilities in Nigeria.

The recent death of Ifunanya, a 26-year-old singer who was bitten by a snake at her Abuja residence and later laid to rest on February 14, 2026, has sparked nationwide concern over the availability of anti-venoms in public hospitals. In response, the Federal Government, through the Senate, mandated the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to equip every public hospital with antivenom. However, the challenge lies in the cost, as some cases require more than a single dose of antivenom.

“About 60 percent of the 2,500 patients we treat annually at our facility do well with just one dose, but complex cases may require up to five doses,” Amani noted.

Global antivenom shortage

Experts have highlighted that snake anti-venoms are a scarce commodity globally, not just in Nigeria, due to the complexity and technical expertise required to harvest venom from venomous snakes. For instance, a gram of snake venom currently sells for $4,000 on the global market, according to Global Statistics, a business analysis platform. This high cost contributes to the expense of antivenoms, as venom is a key ingredient in the production of antivenom, experts say.

“Snake anti-venom is scarce worldwide, and investment in its production is very minimal,” Amani noted.

Iskil Mustapha, a researcher and wildlife conservationist, recounted witnessing two snakebite cases at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where the hospital did not have anti-venom at the time.

“I recall how the families of two snakebite victims couldn’t get anti-venom doses at UCH. They had to search through 12 pharmacies before finding one, and by the time they returned, one of the victims had died,” Mustapha said.

Other countries with a high burden of snakebites, such as Brazil, Kenya, India, and Indonesia, also face anti-venom scarcity, with 50 percent of their health facilities lacking the doses and capacity to handle snakebite cases, according to SOS reports.

Read also: cenomSnake anti-venom available in all Abuja public hospitals — FCTA 

Way forward

Equipping public hospitals, particularly PHCs and health facilities in rural communities and areas with high snakebite cases, such as Gombe, which records about 10,000 cases annually, and other North-Eastern states, represents a major step toward reducing snakebite fatalities in Nigeria.

“It is important to equip public health facilities, especially in rural areas, with anti-venom at a subsidised cost,” Mustapha noted.

Amani added that subsidised rates lead to better outcomes for patients in rural communities. “Our research found that when anti-venom are subsidised, patients recover faster, yielding significantly better outcomes compared to out-of-pocket payment,” he said.

The government has also made measurable efforts, such as supplying anti-venoms to specialised centres and supporting research.

“FMoH, the Gombe State Government, and the North-Eastern Development Council have been very instrumental in anti-venom supply and research funding,” Amani noted.

Experts also say that people in rural communities should maintain a clean environment, avoid walking bushy paths in the dark without torchlight and seek help from health professionals when necessary.