Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Snakebite and its impact in rural communities: The need for a One Health approach

Published inPLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. 13, no. 9, e0007608
Publication date2019
Abstract

Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) with a significant public health impact. It is estimated to cause up to 138,000 deaths worldwide every year and 400,000 victims of permanent disability, including blindness or restricted mobility (reviewed in [1]). The most vulnerable populations are those where the presence of venomous snakes overlaps with the lack of access to healthcare and effective treatment [2]. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally listed snakebite envenoming (snakebite hereafter) as a NTD, adding it to the global health agenda and marking an important shift in both awareness and control efforts [1]. In 2018, the resolution on snakebite envenoming adopted by the 71st World Health Assembly urged Member States to assess and address the burden of snakebite. In a topic area in which large data gaps remain, there is currently also a call for a wider, transdisciplinary approach to the snakebite problem and overall enhanced systemic thinking in the field [3]. This viewpoint highlights the need to frame snakebite as an issue at the interface of humans, domestic animals, and snakes in agroecosystems, in such a systemic thinking context. We explore how human health, animal health, and reliance on agricultural activity and domestic animals for livelihood should be considered in a One Health approach. We further discuss how One Health can be used to enhance our understanding of this complex issue, namely of its eco-epidemiology and its broad socioeconomic impact, contributing to filling key research gaps.

Keywords
  • Snakebite
  • One health
  • Nepal
  • Cameroun
Citation (ISO format)
BABO MARTINS, Sara et al. Snakebite and its impact in rural communities: The need for a One Health approach. In: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2019, vol. 13, n° 9, p. e0007608. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007608
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Identifiers
Additional URL for this publicationhttp://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007608
Journal ISSN1935-2727
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