Global health experts draw attention to deadly snake bite problem

Experts gathered at the World Health Assembly in Geneva this month to talk about a problem that’s often hidden: The roughly 140,000 people who die every year from snake bites.

Venomous snake bites aren’t often at the top of the global health agenda, but each year, millions of people get bitten — often far away from antivenom treatment. To raise awareness, a new initiative called Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) scattered human-sized snake statues throughout Geneva.

Going forward, David Lalloo, the vice chancellor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, says the initiative aims to boost funding for antivenom research and help bolster health systems so they can get bitten people to treatment before it’s too late.