Maharashtra’s Public Health Minister, Prakash Abitkar, announced plans to classify snakebites as a “Notified Disease” in the state. This move aims to enhance measures against snakebites. Additionally, a meeting will be held involving various agencies to establish regional ‘Snake Venom Banks’ and develop a strategic policy with national experts.
In response to concerns raised about the rising mortality rate from snakebites, the Minister assured that Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state will maintain sufficient stocks of anti-snake venom (ASV). Despite the presence of four major types of venomous snakes in Maharashtra, a single polyvalent anti-venom is currently used, prompting calls for customized vaccines based on regional venoms.
Vikram Pachpute, who highlighted the need for upgraded anti-venom vaccines, emphasized the importance of tailored vaccines for different snake species found in various regions. He questioned the use of a single polyvalent vaccine for diverse venom types and suggested exploring the production of monovalent vaccines. Pachpute also proposed the establishment of regional venom banks to address this issue.
