African Snakebite Alliance

Alliance Overview

The legacy of neglect surrounding snakebite is stark, with up to one-third of the world’s 81,000–138,000 annual snakebite deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Countless more victims are left with permanent disability.

The 2019 WHO roadmap set a bold target: to halve snakebite deaths and disability by 2030. But achieving that goal depends on bridging the gap between research, policy, and practice.

The African Snakebite Alliance (ASA) was established to do just that, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and communities across Africa to generate the high-quality evidence needed to drive real-world change.

What is Snakebite Envenoming?

Snakebite Envenoming is a Neglected Tropical Disease, as classified by the World Health Organization, that kills between 81,000 and 138,000 people annually. These individuals more often than not reside in some of the most 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, who suffer disproportionately high rates of snakebite mortality and morbidity. Snakebite is therefore both a consequence and a 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 coordinated approach is crucial for ensuring that the WHO's 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

Funding Opportunities

Details of grant opportunities will be released during the next call for applications.

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.
Community-based snakebite risk mapping for resource prioritisation in Eastern Province, Rwanda
- Dileepa Senajith Ediriweera, Dieudonne Hakizimana, Peter J Diggle, Janna M Schurer, Community-based snakebite risk mapping for resource prioritisation in Eastern Province, Rwanda, Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2025; trae069, https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trae069