ACPN Calls for Action on Antivenom Availability

By Love Oyedokun

Lagos, Nigeria – February 2, 2026 – The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has issued a passionate plea to the Federal Government, demanding immediate action to combat the country’s escalating snakebite crisis. Following the recent tragic death of Abuja-based singer Ifunanya Nwangene from snakebite envenoming, the ACPN is urging the government to provide free antivenom drugs to all Nigerians and prioritize the establishment of local manufacturing facilities to end the estimated 2,000 preventable deaths recorded annually.

Cablenews24 reports that the ACPN’s call to action comes at a critical time, as snakebite envenoming remains a largely neglected public health emergency in Nigeria, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations in rural areas. While the country records over 20,000 cases annually, a staggering 1,700 Nigerians suffer permanent disabilities, including limb amputations, due to tissue necrosis and delayed access to appropriate medical care.

Pharm. Ambrose Igwekammah Eze, National Chairman of the ACPN, expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the late Ifunanya Nwangene, emphasizing that her death served as a stark reminder of the urgent need for systemic change. “We mourn with the family and stand in solidarity with all Nigerians who have lost loved ones to preventable causes,” Eze stated. “Every Nigerian life is valuable and must be treated as a national priority.”

The ACPN is advocating for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s approach to antivenom supply, moving away from reliance on donor-dependent sources to a self-sufficient local production model. Eze noted that Nigeria currently spends nearly $12millionannuallyonimportedantivenomvials,makinglocalmanufacturingafiscallyresponsibleandsustainablesolution.Theassociationiscallingforaone-offgovernmentinvestmentofapproximately$12 million to establish a local production plant, which would significantly reduce costs and ensure a reliable supply of quality-assured antivenom.

In addition to local manufacturing, the ACPN is urging the Federal Government to fully include antivenoms under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to subsidize the average treatment cost of ₦40,000, which remains prohibitively expensive for the majority of rural Nigerians. The association also condemned the “administrative interference” crippling Drug Revolving Funds (DRF) in public hospitals, arguing that these funds must be protected and professionally managed to prevent stock-outs of essential medicines and consumables.

The ACPN’s concerns are echoed in the 2026 Global Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) report, which revealed that 98 percent of Nigerian healthcare workers face extreme challenges in administering snakebite treatment, highlighting the urgent need for improved training and resources.

To address the multifaceted challenges of snakebite envenoming, the ACPN has proposed a comprehensive 8-point roadmap, including the decentralization of treatment capacity to rural Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) and the engagement of traditional rulers and healers as partners in early referral systems. The association also stressed the need for sustained public education to discourage harmful traditional practices, such as the use of “black stones,” which cause fatal delays in seeking proper medical care.

Ultimately, the ACPN is calling for the formal declaration of snakebite envenoming as a National Health Priority and a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), which would unlock increased funding and resources for prevention, treatment, and research.

“I am confident that with political will, strategic investment, and coordinated action, the cycle of preventable deaths and disabilities can be broken,” Eze stated. “In the near future, deaths and disabilities resulting from snakebites will become largely preventable and ultimately a thing of the past.”

The ACPN’s impassioned plea underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated response to Nigeria’s snakebite crisis, one that prioritizes access to affordable, quality-assured antivenom and empowers communities to protect themselves from this deadly threat. The life of Ifunanya Nwangene, and the lives of countless others, depend on it.

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