Context:
Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE), under the ‘One Health’ approach.
Relevance:
GS II: Health
Dimensions of the Article:
- National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE):
- Snakebite Envenoming (SE)
- What are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD)?
- Government’s efforts regarding NTD
- One Health Concept
National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE):
- The NAP-SE outlines a comprehensive approach to managing, preventing, and controlling snakebite envenoming in India.
- It aligns with global efforts to reduce snakebite-related deaths by 50% and delineates the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders.
- Serving as a guiding document, it empowers states/UTs and stakeholders to develop tailored action plans, focusing on anti-snake venom availability, capacity building, referral systems, and public education.
Aim:
- To reduce snakebite-related deaths and disabilities by 50% by 2030.
- To progressively diminish the morbidity, mortality, and associated complications resulting from snakebites.
Strategic Actions:
Human Health:
- Ensure the availability of anti-snake venom in all healthcare facilities.
- Strengthen surveillance of snakebite cases and deaths.
- Enhance emergency care services at District Hospitals/ CHCs, including ambulance services and Regional Venom Centres.
Wildlife Health:
- Increase education and awareness.
- Distribute antivenom effectively.
- Strengthen key stakeholders.
- Conduct systematic research, monitoring, snake venom collection, and relocation.
Animal and Agriculture Component:
- Prevent snakebites in livestock.
- Engage communities in prevention efforts.
Snakebite Envenoming (SE)
- SE is a grave disease often caused by venom injection from snakebites or venom spray into the eyes.
- It’s a daily health hazard in rural areas of Africa, Middle East, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America, affecting those dependent on agriculture.
Impact of SE
- Long-term health issues in survivors, predominantly in developing nations, include physical deformities, kidney issues, and mental health effects.
Mortality Data
- The WHO reports an annual global mortality of 81,410 to 137,880 due to snakebites.
WHO’s Strategy Against SE
- In 2019, WHO aimed to reduce snakebite-induced mortality and morbidity by half by 2030.
- There’s a target for a 25% rise in qualified antivenom producers by 2030.
- A proposed global antivenom reserve is in the works.
- National health strategies are being adapted to include snakebite management and community education.
Indian Efforts
- Preceding WHO’s plans, ICMR initiated community awareness and health infrastructure development in 2013.
- Aligning with global strategies, India implemented a National Action Plan in 2015 for tackling snakebite hazards.
What are Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD)?
- Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)– a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries – affect more than one billion people and cost developing economies billions of dollars every year.
- Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected.
- Seven of the most common NTDs can be found in a number of countries—primarily in low- and middle-income countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Controlling the vectors (e.g., mosquitoes, black flies) that transmit these diseases and improving basic water, sanitation, and hygiene are highly effective strategies against these NTDs.
- Examples of NTDs are: snakebite envenomation, scabies, yaws, trachoma, Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease etc.
The NTD Crisis
- NTDs such as dengue, lymphatic filariasis and visceral leishmaniasis (Kala-Azar) afflict 1 billion people worldwide, and yet, are not prioritised in the public health narrative in many parts of the world.
- India bears the largest burden of NTDs in the world, accounting for 40 per cent of the global lymphatic filariasis disease burden and almost a quarter of the world’s visceral leishmaniasis cases.
Government’s efforts regarding NTD
- In recent years, the government has made concerted efforts to address the nation’s NTD burden, especially visceral leishmaniasis and lymphatic filariasis which were slated to be eliminated by 2020 and 2021 respectively.
- India has already eliminated several other NTDs, including guinea worm, trachoma, and yaws.
- Measures taken include Mass Drug Administration (MDA) for lymphatic filariasis prevention in endemic districts and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) to control the breeding of sandflies that transmit visceral leishmaniasis.
- The Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (APELF) was launched in 2018, as part of intensifying efforts towards the elimination of NTDs.
- A WHO-supported regional alliance established by the governments of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal in 2005 to expedite early diagnosis and treatment of the most vulnerable populations and improve disease surveillance and control of sandfly populations (Kala-azar).
One Health Concept:
The One Health approach acknowledges the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and the environment. It recognizes that the health of individuals, communities, and ecosystems are deeply intertwined.
Key Components:
- Collaboration and Partnership: One Health encourages collaboration among various stakeholders, including human health professionals, veterinarians, ecologists, environmental scientists, and policymakers.
- Tripartite-Plus Alliance: The foundation of One Health is laid upon the agreement between key organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), along with other relevant entities.
- Interdisciplinary Approach: It promotes a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together experts from diverse fields such as human health, animal health, agriculture, ecology, and environmental science.
- Research and Knowledge Sharing: One Health fosters research initiatives and the exchange of knowledge at various levels to address health challenges comprehensively. This includes sharing insights and findings related to human health, animal health, plant health, soil health, and ecosystem health.
- Health Protection and Promotion: The overarching goal of One Health is to enhance, safeguard, and promote the health and well-being of all species, including humans, animals, and the environment. By addressing health issues holistically, it aims to prevent disease outbreaks, mitigate health risks, and promote sustainable practices.
