African Snakebite Alliance

Alliance Overview

The legacy of neglect for snakebite is clear with up to one-third of the annual global snakebite deaths occuring in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This neglect includes the uncounted deaths and severe and permanent morbidity caused by these bites. The 2019 WHO roadmap has a clearly stated goal of halving snakebite deaths and disability worldwide by 2030. However, achieving that goal is considerably hampered by the lack of high-quality research evidence to inform policy and practice.

The African Snakebite Alliances aims to address this in the coming years.

What is Snakebite Envenoming?

Snakebite Envenoming is a Neglected Tropical Disease, as classified by the World Health Organization, kills between 81,000 and 138,000 people annually. These individuals more often than not reside in some of the move disadvantaged subsistence rural farming communities across Africa and Asia.

In addition to the mortality caused by snakebite annually a further 400,000 surviving victims are left with permanent physical disabilities and disfigurements as a result of the bite. These individuals are often the most economically important and educationally vulnerable 10-30 year olds, that suffer disproportionally high rates of snakebite mortality and morbidity. Snakebite is therefore both a consequence and cause of tropical poverty.

Our Aim and Objectives

Aim: To improve health outcomes for people affected by snakebite envenoming by addressing evidence gaps in policy and practice in Africa.

This bold and innovative approach will transform the snakebite field by linking the international scientific community with local policy and community actors in an Alliance that is anchored in Africa. This co-ordinated approach is crucial for ensuring that the WHO goal of reducing morbidity and mortality will succeed.

Objectives:

To undertake high-quality research relevant to improving health outcomes for people affected by snakebite in Africa
To develop systems to support national and regional bodies in Africa to incorporate research evidence into decision-making in policy and practice
To develop and support a sustainable and cross-disciplinary capacity for snakebite research in Africa

Work Package 1: Undertaking High-Quality Research

Work Package 2: Transitioning Research into Policy and Practice

Work Package 3: Supporting Capacity Building Activities

Upcoming Funding Opportunities

PhD Positions

The Alliance has three PhD positions which will be opening in the coming months.

PhD in Epidemiology (Advert Closed)
PhD in Health Economics
PhD in Policy to Practice

Small Grants

The Alliance will have a series of small grants focusing on key research priorities in snakebite. These will include ones for £50K and £100k.

Stay tuned for more information.

Alliance Publications

Correspondence: The African snakebite Alliance
- George O. Oluoch, Ymkje Stienstra, Janna M. Schurer, Rhona Mijumbi, Jean Bosco Mbonigaba, Brent Thomas, Sara Padidar, John Amuasi, David G. Lalloo, Correspondence: The African snakebite Alliance, Toxicon, 2023, 107535, ISSN 0041-0101, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107535.
Stakeholder perspectives from 15 countries in Africa on barriers in snakebite envenoming research and the potential role of research hubs
- Stienstra Y, Aglanu LM, Schurer JM, Mijumbi R, Mbonigaba JB, Habib AG, et al. (2023) Stakeholder perspectives from 15 countries in Africa on barriers in snakebite envenoming research and the potential role of research hubs. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 17(12): e0011838. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011838.