Kerala just made snakebites a notifiable disease
Kerala has officially declared snakebite envenomation a notifiable disease, meaning hospitals now have to report every case and death.
This move follows the tragic loss of a schoolgirl in Wayanad back in 2019, and it's all about tracking the problem better so help can reach people faster.
Why does this matter?
India sees over 64,000 snakebite deaths each year—Kerala has reported over a hundred deaths in a single year, with numbers declining in recent years.
The state is stepping up: from making schools safer and launching the SARPA rescue app to training thousands in safe snake handling.
Thanks to these efforts, deaths have dropped from 123 in 2018-19 to just 34 so far this fiscal year (FY24-25).
Kerala now plans to make its own antivenom and expand rapid response teams—all aiming for zero snakebite deaths by 2030.