Snake bite is the most frequent problem in Nepal during summer or rainy season especially in the Tarai region. Many people from rural areas are losing their life due to snake bite because we do not have proper health facilities and snake antivenoms.

Snake bite is an ignored public health issue in many tropical and subtropical countries. About 5 million snake bites occur each year, resulting at least in 1,00,000 deaths as well as many other permanent disabilities. In Nepal there is no any actual data but it is estimated that there are about 20,000 snake bites and 1,000 fatalities annually. Generally farmers from poor rural areas, agricultural workers, children and women are mostly affected in low and middle income countries. Bites by venomous snakes can cause severe paralysis that may prevent breathing, bleeding disorders leading to fatal hemorrhage, kidney failure, severe local tissue destruction and permanent disability.

Children suffer more severe effects than adults due to their smaller body mass. Deaths and serious consequences from snake bites are entirely preventable by making antivenoms more widely and easily available in all health centers. Snake antivenoms are the only effective treatment to prevent most of the venomous effects.

They are listed in Essential Medicines and should be part of any primary health care package where snake bites occur. In our country primarily prevention, control and medical management of snake bites have been neglected. Furthermore, there is a lack of information among the health professionals. At present very few countries produce antivenoms for snakebites due to its great challenge in manufacturing correct immunogens (snake venoms). Health systems in many countries where snake bites are common lack the infrastructures and resources to collect data on the problem.

Assessing the true impact is complicated by the fact that cases reported by clinics and hospitals are often only a small proportion of the actual burden because many victims never reach primary care facilities, and are therefore unreported.

Knowing the behavioral patterns of snakes is a useful preventive method. Some snakes seem to bite mostly at night when people are sleeping on the floors. Sleeping above ground level will obviously help keep snakes away from the beds. Using mosquito nets has also shown to be effective against snake bites.