A group of 27 experts in South Africa has written to Health Minister Joe Phaahla for urgent intervention in the critical shortage of anti-venom in the country and on the continent.
Last week MedicalBrief reported that the country had run short of the lifesaving antidote, with both doctors and vets desperate for stocks.
“Anti-venom is a critical lifesaving treatment in patients bitten by venomous snakes,” said trauma surgeon Professor Timothy Hardcastle, a member of the National Snakebite Advisory Group (NSAG) and the Trauma Society of South Africa.
He said that the main source of anti-venom against the common major venomous snakes in this country and on the continent was the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP) group of products: the 10-snake polyvalent, the Echis monovalent and the Boomslang monovalent anti-venoms, reports the Cape Times.
“Currently, our greatest concern and challenge is the unreliable production of the SAVP’s products due to management, staffing constraints, animal welfare, unreliable generator capacity, machine breakdowns and refrigeration issues.
“There has been a promise of product since December 2022, but four months later, extremely limited numbers of polyvalent vials are left in the South African Vaccine Producers stores, while a large backlog of orders has yet to be filled.
“Certain public and private hospitals – many in high snake bite areas – have already run out of stock while others have precious little anti-venom on hand. There is also a shortage among veterinarians – and no sign any stocks are likely to be replenished any time soon.”
In the letter, the experts appealed to Phaahla to intervene by funding and approving emergency upgrades to allow improved functionality at the Johannesburg-based SAVP production plant.
They also asked Phaahla to ensure procurement processes were effectively performed so that equipment, back-up generators, reagents and other essential production items could be procured.
Hardcastle said an investigation into outsourcing the production of anti-venom was also mooted.
Phaala’s office has not yet responded.
Cape Times PressReader article – Urgent pleas on SA’s anti-venom shortage (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Snakebite anti-venom stocks dwindle to ‘almost nothing’
Snakebite: ‘The world’s biggest hidden health crisis’
Experts flag shortage of snake anti-venom stocks