1,000 die of snake bites, scores left with permanent injuries

Patrick Kioko shows his swollen leg after suffering a snakebite in 2016. [File, Standard]

Over 1,000 Kenyans lose their lives from snakebites, while a significant number are left with permanent physical disabilities.

The Kenyans who bear the burden are in rural areas and pastoral communities. Children are also left exposed to the reptiles.

As Kenya joined the world in commemorating International Snakebite Awareness Day 2026 under the theme, “Know It, Respect It, Survive It,” more than 19,000 Kenyans have been bitten by the reptiles.

Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said Baringo leads in snakebites, and that the Ministry of Health is taking deliberate action to address the burden. She said snakebite envenoming has been recognised as a priority Neglected Tropical Disease and incorporated into the Kenya National Neglected Tropical Diseases Masterplan 2023–2027.

The PS said the Ministry of Health has also strengthened surveillance by integrating mandatory snakebite case reporting into the Kenya Health Information System at all health facility levels, while community-level surveillance has been activated through the Electronic Community Health Information System.

At the community level, more than 5,000 Community Health Promoters have been trained across snakebite-endemic counties to identify households at risk, deliver prevention messages, administer correct first aid, report cases and facilitate timely referral to health facilities. This investment in our frontline health workforce is critical in reducing the time between a snakebite and access to appropriate care.

“We have also completed county-level mapping of snakebite hotspots, which is helping to guide targeted distribution of antivenom and strengthen emergency response in high-burden counties. Through the Kenya Institute of Primate Research, we are developing Kenya’s first domestically produced antivenom, using venom profiles from locally relevant snake species. We are also establishing a National Antivenom Quality Control Laboratory at the Kenya Institute of Primate Research to strengthen quality assurance and antivenom efficacy standards,” said Muthoni.

“We have further integrated snakebite surveillance into mass drug administration campaigns, using existing Neglected Tropical Disease structures to strengthen community-level data collection and surveillance.”

Kenya is also playing a leading role in keeping snakebite on the global health agenda. We co-chair the Global Snakebite Taskforce, providing political leadership to international efforts to address snakebite. Kenya also led a Member State side event at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, helping to return snakebite to the World Health Assembly agenda for the first time since 2020.

Baringo County has been earmarked as one of Kenya’s highest-burden counties for snakebite envenoming, with Kenyans, particularly those living in snakebite-risk areas, being urged to remember three simple but life-saving messages: Prevent, Act Right and Seek Care Early.

“Prevent snakebites by avoiding unnecessary contact with snakes, act right by administering the correct first aid and avoiding harmful practices, and seek care early by getting the victim to a health facility as quickly as possible. Together, we can save lives and reduce the disabilities caused by snakebite.”