December 17, 2025 — Dalena Reporters
Gombe State, Nigeria has recorded the deaths of at least 54 residents from snake bite-related incidents in 2025, the State Epidemiologist has disclosed, highlighting a persistent public health challenge in rural and agricultural communities.
Dr. Nuhu Bile, speaking on Tuesday at the State Public Health Emergency Management Committee (S-PHEMC) meeting in Gombe, revealed that 1,591 snake bite cases were presented at the Snake Bite Hospital in Kaltungo this year, with the fatalities representing approximately 3.4 per cent of the total cases attended.
The figure of 1,591 bites in 2025 is the lowest in four years, compared with 2,794 reported in 2022, 2,594 in 2023, and 2,189 in 2024, but health officials caution that the apparent decline does not necessarily indicate fewer snake bites overall. Many victims reportedly seek alternative treatment outside formal health facilities or present late, when clinical complications are severe.
The meeting, which was supported by UNICEF and chaired by Kwara State Deputy Governor Manassah Jatau, underscored the urgent need for improved access to anti-snake venom (ASV) drugs, enhanced community education on prevention, and strengthened emergency response mechanisms for bite victims.
Snake bite envenoming remains a significant public health issue globally and in sub-Saharan Africa, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating tens of thousands of deaths each year from venomous snake bites. WHO data show that snake bites can cause severe illness and fatalities, especially where access to effective antivenoms is limited.
Dr. Bile also reported that Gombe recorded 176 cholera cases with five deaths and 14 Lassa fever cases resulting in eight deaths in 2025, further illustrating the diverse public health pressures facing the state.
Health experts emphasise that snake bites, though preventable and treatable with timely care, disproportionately affect rural dwellers, farmers and herders who live and work in environments where venomous snakes are more common, and where health infrastructure is often distant or under-resourced.
As the year draws to a close, medical authorities in Gombe are urging continued vigilance, improved community awareness on bite prevention, and reliable supply of safe, effective antivenoms at treatment centres — steps that WHO champions as essential to reducing morbidity and mortality from snake bites worldwide.