A sobering report from Gombe State reveals a complex public health landscape where a decline in reported snakebite cases masks a dangerous crisis in treatment access, even as the state emerges as a national model for cholera control.
Dr. Nuhu Bile, the State Epidemiologist, disclosed at a State Public Health Emergency Management Committee (S-PHEMC) meeting that 54 deaths from snakebites were recorded in 2025. This fatality count stemmed from 1,591 cases presented at the specialist Snakebite Hospital in Kaltungo, representing a 3.4% case fatality rate.
However, Dr. Bile delivered a critical caveat: the recorded 1,591 cases—the lowest in four years—are not indicative of a reduced threat. Instead, the decline is a direct consequence of a severe shortage of free, adequate anti-snake venom (ASV) at the facility. “Many persons had resorted to seeking alternative means of treatment because of the unavailability of free anti-snake venom,” he explained, noting that victims often only arrive at the hospital when their conditions have become complicated and more dangerous. This creates a perilous gap in early intervention, which is crucial for neutralizing venom and preventing death or permanent disability.
The data underscores this alarming trend. While cases dropped from 2,794 in 2022 to 1,591 in 2025, the underlying snake population and human-snake conflict in the agrarian state likely remain unchanged. The shortage of ASV—a lifesaving but often expensive and supply-chain-dependent medication—forces rural communities to turn to traditional healers or delay care, increasing mortality risk. This scenario highlights a critical flaw in surveillance: when essential medicines are unavailable, official case numbers become unreliable, obscuring the true burden of disease.
In stark contrast, Gombe’s approach to cholera has been hailed as a success story. Dr. Bile reported only 176 cases and 5 deaths from cholera in 2025. This achievement was the focal point of the UNICEF-supported inter-state meeting, which brought together health officials from Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Plateau States.
Dr. Jibril Muhammad, a UNICEF consultant, emphasized the national context: “Currently in Nigeria, we have over five diseases that have reached outbreak proportion. Almost all 37 states have an existing outbreak ongoing. The major one that affects most states is cholera.” He pointed to significant casualties in neighboring Bauchi and Adamawa, making Gombe’s results particularly notable. “Gombe has been able to tackle cholera outbreak, that’s why we are supporting other states to come and learn from Gombe, the strategies employed that yielded this beautiful result.”
This juxtaposition presents a clear public health lesson. Gombe’s cholera strategy—likely involving improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, rapid case detection, and effective community mobilization—proves that coordinated action yields results. The snakebite crisis, however, illustrates how the collapse of a single, specific medical supply chain (for ASV) can undermine an entire healthcare response, driving patients away from formal systems and worsening outcomes.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Governor Mr. Manassah Jatau, served as a microcosm of Nigeria’s public health challenges: multiple concurrent outbreaks, strained resources, and varying levels of success across different disease fronts. The takeaway is that sustainable solutions require not only effective strategies but also guaranteed access to essential commodities. Gombe’s experience suggests that applying the model of coordination and resource allocation that curbed cholera to the snakebite response—ensuring reliable ASV supply and community education on early hospital presentation—could prevent needless deaths and solidify the state’s role as a regional health leader.
(Based on a report by Peter Uwumarogie for the News Agency of Nigeria)
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