Supreme Court seeks government response on petition for anti-venom availability to reduce snakebite deaths in India. File
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Supreme Court on Friday (December 13, 2024) sought response from Centre on a petition seeking directions to make anti-venom and snakebite treatment available at health centres, hospitals and medical colleges to save lives of victims.

A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan issued notice to the Union and State governments. The case would come up for hearing after four weeks.

The plea filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi said, “India has the highest rate of snakebite deaths globally, with approximately 58,000 fatalities each year. Despite this high mortality rate, there is scarcity of anti-venom.”

The plea sought directions to conduct snakebite prevention health mission and snakebite public awareness campaigns to reduce mortality, especially in rural India.