In response to the current crisis in the supply of antivenoms, WHO has decided to open up a prequalification scheme for these products. The first call to manufacturers will go out on 1 December 2015.
News that one of the most effective treatments for snake bite, Fav-Afrique, will run out in 2016 has caused dismay among public health experts and advocates and spurred media interest in the subject.
WHO welcomes the opportunity provided by media attention on this issue, as for a number of years it has attempted to raise the alarm on the public health challenge of snake bites and the dearth of effective antivenoms on the market, compounded by the lack of donor support to make these products available through international procurement mechanisms.
About 5 million people are bitten by snakes every year, causing around 125 000 deaths and 400 000 people to be permanently disabled or disfigured. In sub-Saharan Africa, one of the most affected regions, about 30 000 people die from snake bite each year.
Opening a prequalification scheme for antivenoms could be a game changer. As shown by combination AIDS medicines over 10 years ago, WHO prequalification could spur manufacturers’ interest in these products and promote greater availability of affordable antivenoms.
‘We are taking a calculated risk by opening up the prequalification window on antivenoms,’ explained Lembit Rago, head of Regulation of Medicines and Health products at WHO. ‘We need to know that there is financial backing from donors to take this forward and hope that this move will mobilise the necessary support for an issue that affects many people in several continents.’
WHO also encourages research that can lead to better clinical management of deadly snake bites.