Snakes are some of the most misunderstood, mistreated, and persecuted animals in the world.  The reasons for this are many,  Snakes have long been associated with witchcraft (especially in Africa) and many people have strange beliefs about snakes representing a curse on the victim of a snakebite.  Of course many people think snakes are evil because of a misunderstanding of the Adam and Eve story from the Book of Genesis in the Bible.  Satan used the serpent for evil, but that does not make the snake inherently evil.  In fact, God said earlier in Genesis that everything he created was good, and that would have included snakes.  Elsewhere in the Bible, God speaks highly of snakes and often used them for good.  He made snakes to fit a particular role in our ecosystems, including control of rodent populations which is especially important to humans.  Snakes also play a role in seed dispersal as the seeds in the rodents are excreted in the snake's waste.  Even snake venom can be harvested and used to make medications that help cardiac patients like myself.

Snakes and humans come into conflict when snakes are forced to move closer to human settlements to find food.  This often happens because humans destroy snake habitat to grow crops and to build houses for people (expanding populations).  

Some snakes are venomous (not poisonous), but not every venomous snake is life threatening or even dangerous.  The venom is used to quickly immobilize their prey and even start the process of digestion before swallowing.  This is using venom for offense.  However, it can also be used defensively when a snake is stepped on by a larger animal or a human being.  When a human being is injected with venom, we call this snakebite envenomation.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease that takes the lives of nearly 138,000 people around the world annually.  About 4 times as many will survive, but suffer a permanent disability that keeps them from working and even their regular daily activities.  The WHO has set a goal of a 50% reduction in snakebite envenomation globally by 2030.

In Kenya, nearly 1000 people die each year from snakebite, and about 4000 people suffer a disability with loss of income.  One reason for these statistics is the lack of suitable antivenom in sub-Saharan Africa in general, including Kenya.  People often have to go to more than one hospital to find one that has antivenom, and sometimes there just isn't any.  In addition, people in rural communities can sometimes be 100-200 km away from the nearest hospital.  The roads are not well constructed, and in the rainy season, vehicles can easily get stuck in the mud, further delaying the treatment the victim needs.  Many of those most affected are living in poverty, so it is difficult for them to pay for transportation to the hospital, and especially for the expensive antivenom therapy.  Families often have to sell their possessions and mortgage their future to get the survivor out of the hospital and pay for their treatment.  The survivor may not be able to work, and often has to endure the stigma of being bitten by a snake.

Snakebite prevention training is the key.  Without access to safe and affordable antivenom, the only way to reduce snakebite envenomation is through prevention.  Prevention strategies are effective at reducing the risk of snakebite and can be taught in a variety of settings, including community groups, schools, churches, and other venues.  Prevention training includes the following topics:

• Basic information about snakes and their behaviors

• How humans and snakes come into conflict

• Myths and misconceptions about snakes

• Snakebite envenomation and symptoms

• First aid for snakebite

• Methods for avoiding snakes and preventing snakebite when outdoors, around your compound, and in your house

Training the trainers.  Preparation of qualified trainers is the key to good community training and the spread of factual information about snakes and snakebite.  VEM provides training for trainers using training programs developed on WhatsApp and in a manual entitled "Kenya Snakebite Awareness Training Manual" available for free online to anyone.  We want to equip people to share what they know with others, because it is only by spreading the good news about snakebite prevention that we are going to save lives.  Peer trainings are also done in person by members of the Upendo or Snake Community Action Network (SCAN) training teams.  Peer trainers can go out into the community marketplaces and even one on one to talk to people about how to prevent snakebite.  

Snake removal and relocation services are also important.  If someone finds a snake in their house or compound, they can call a snake removal expert from our teams to find and secure the snake to release it somewhere else away from people.  VEM provides assistance to those interested in learning snake removal techniques to get to a training center for at least two days of training.  However, to learn how to handle the more difficult venomous snakes, like black mambas and Egyptian cobras, they must do a few weeks of internship at the snake farm before attempting to handle these snakes.

Assisting snakebite survivors.  There are a few ways that our teams can help snakebite survivors.  Team members can help the families navigate the health care system, be a liaison with doctors and nurses, and when possible help to pay for expensive medical bills.  Our teams have also helped provide transportation of survivors to clinics for follow up wound management, or sometimes our team members do it themselves with a doctor's supervision.  If a family is having trouble buying food or supplies because the survivor is unable to help, our teams can step in and provide some assistance.