02465nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001653003900042653002500081653002700106653002300133100001800156700001400174700001500188700001500203700001100218700001400229700001500243700003300258245010600291856007900397300001100476490000700487520169100494022001402185       2014                            d10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aSnakebite envenoming10aAntivenom availability10aSub-Saharan Africa1 aGutiérrez JM1 aBurnouf T1 aHarrison R1 aCalvete JJ1 aKuch U1 aWarrell D1 aWilliams D1 aGlobal Snakebite Initiative 00aA multicomponent strategy to improve the availability of antivenom for treating snakebite envenoming.  uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4121869/pdf/BLT.13.132431.pdf  a526-320 v923 a<p>Snakebite envenoming is a common but neglected public health problem, particularly in impoverished rural regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. The only validated treatment for this condition is passive immunotherapy with safe and effective animal-derived antivenoms. However, there is a long-lasting crisis in the availability of these life-saving medications, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. We herein advocate a multicomponent strategy to substantially improve the availability of safe and effective antivenoms at the global level. This strategy is based on: (i) preparing validated collections of representative venom pools from the most medically dangerous snakes in high-risk regions of the world; (ii) strengthening the capacity of national antivenom manufacturing and quality control laboratories and their regulatory authorities and establishing new facilities in developing countries through technology transfer, as an integral part of efforts to develop their biological products industry; (iii) getting established laboratories to generate antivenoms for various regions of the world; and (iv) getting governments and relevant organizations to give snakebite envenoming due recognition within national and international public health policy frameworks. These ways of making antivenom available should be complemented by actions to improve health information systems, the accessibility of antivenoms, the training of medical and nursing staff, and community-based education. Such a multicomponent strategy involving stakeholders on many levels could help consolidate sustainable improvements in antivenom availability worldwide.</p>
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