O n October 10, following in the footsteps of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu , Kerala declared snakebite envenomation a disease of public health importance under the Kerala Public Health Act, 2023. This notification is in accordance with the Centre’s directive to implement the 2024 National Action Plan for Snakebite Envenoming, an initiative to halve snakebite-related deaths in India by 2030. Of the nearly 78,600 snakebite deaths annually reported worldwide, over 64,000 deaths occur in India, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Nature Communications , in 2022.

Dr. Ajan M.J., Assistant Director, Health and Family Welfare Department, who is the State nodal officer for snakebite envenomation management, says the notification will enable more accurate tracking of s

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