The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to provide free antivenom drugs and prioritize local manufacturing to end the 2,000 preventable deaths recorded annually in the country. In a statement following the tragic death of Abuja singer Ifunanya Nwangene, the association insisted that Nigeria must transition from a donor-dependent supply chain to a self-sufficient local production model to safeguard lives and meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2030 target of halving snakebite-related fatalities.
On behalf of the leadership and the entire membership of the ACPN, the National Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Igwekammah Eze extended deepest condolences to the family of the late Ifunanya Nwangene over what he described as a tragic and painful loss. "We mourn with the family and stand in solidarity with all Nigerians who have lost loved ones to preventable causes," Eze stated, emphasizing that every Nigerian life is valuable and must be treated as a national priority.
Pharm. Eze warned that snakebite envenoming remains one of the most neglected public health emergencies in Nigeria. He revealed that while the country records over 20,000 cases annually, approximately 1,700 Nigerians suffer permanent disabilities, including limb amputations, due to tissue necrosis and delayed access to care. This crisis disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations such as the rural dwellers, subsistence farmers, herders, women, and children—who often reside far from functional health facilities and lack financial protection against catastrophic health expenditures.
The death of Ms. Nwangene at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, served as a catalyst for these demands. While FMC Abuja clarified that antivenom was administered, the ACPN maintains that the "referral trap" and stock-outs in local facilities expose critical gaps. Eze emphasized that any delay, whether due to costs or lack of trained manpower, is the difference between life and death. He noted that despite the existence of national guidelines and the inclusion of antivenoms in the National Essential Medicines List (EML), the persistent rise in fatalities raises urgent questions about the accessibility of these quality-assured drugs.
Turning this tragedy into policy action, the ACPN issued a direct call for a one-off government investment of approximately $12 million to establish a local production plant. Pharm. Eze noted that Nigeria currently spends nearly $12 million annually on imported vials, making local manufacturing a fiscally responsible solution. He further urged the Federal Government to approve the full inclusion of antivenoms under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to subsidize the ₦40,000 average treatment cost, which remains prohibitive for the average rural Nigerian.
The association also condemned the "administrative interference" crippling Drug Revolving Funds (DRF) in public hospitals. Eze argued that DRFs must be protected and professionally managed to prevent the "stock-out syndrome" and ensure that emergency medicines and consumables are available at all times. These systemic failures are echoed in the 2026 Global Strike Out Snakebite (SOS) report, which found that 98 per cent of Nigerian healthcare workers face extreme challenges in administering treatment.
As part of a comprehensive 8-point roadmap, the ACPN recommended 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. Pharm. Eze also stressed the need for sustained public education to discourage harmful traditional practices, such as the use of "black stones," which cause fatal delays.
Eze concluded by demanding the formal declaration of snakebite envenoming as a National Health Priority and a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD). He maintained that with political will, strategic investment, and coordinated action, the cycle of preventable deaths and disabilities can be broken. "I am confident that in the near future, deaths and disabilities resulting from snakebites will become largely preventable and ultimately a thing of the past," he stated.
