Snakebite

The ‘PNG Snakebite Partnership’ is a three-year project involving the National Department of Health, the Australian Government, Seqirus Pty Ltd, and the Charles Campbell Toxinology Centre (CCTC), at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG). 

The project is intended to significantly improve access to antivenoms by combining a large antivenom donation, healthcare worker training, with a purpose-built distribution and product management system. 

Port Moresby General Hospital is charging K15,000 for snake antivenom, which has not gone down well with the Charles Campbell Toxinology Centre. The fees were circulated via an internal memo by the PMGH management.

CCTC has criticised the move, making public their frustration on Facebook:

For far too long, it has been a challenge for specialists and professionals in the forefront, dealing with snakebite cases and trying to reduce statistics.

A sigh of relief it is, now that snakebite envenoming has been returned to World Health Organisation’s list of Neglected Tropical Diseases. 

The tenth meeting of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases (STAG) was held on March 29–30, 2017 at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

They are participants of a snakebite course conducted recently by Charles Campbell Toxinology Centre.

The course was basically to bring doctors, nurses and health care workers up to date with the latest information on the prevention, first aid and treatment of snakebite, and the opportunity to practice a range of practical skills including Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support.