The tragic passing of Nigerian singer Ifunanya Nwangene, known as Nanyah, following a snakebite, underscores a pressing issue: the crisis of preventable deaths in Nigeria. In her final message to friends, she simply urged, "Please come." This 26-year-old artist, who had previously competed on The Voice Nigeria, was bitten by a snake while she slept in her apartment in Abuja. Despite her friends' quick actions to get her medical assistance, she lost her life just hours after the incident, tragically waiting for the antivenom that could have saved her.
Nwangene’s untimely death on January 31 has ignited intense discussions about the alarming lack of accessible treatments for snakebites in Nigerian hospitals. Friends remember her as a vibrant talent, preparing for her first solo concert, and her choir honored her memory by calling her a rising star poised to showcase her extraordinary abilities.
Globally, snakebites claim a life every five minutes—adding up to approximately 138,000 fatalities each year—while leaving 400,000 survivors with lasting disabilities. Disturbingly, many cases go unreported, especially when victims turn to traditional healers instead of seeking hospital care. Advocacy groups highlight that funding is grossly inadequate to meet the United Nations' 2019 goals aimed at halving the number of deaths and disabilities caused by snakebites by 2030. The current investment in research is precarious, rendering snakebite envenoming a neglected tropical disease.
The World Health Organization asserts that most snakebite deaths are entirely preventable, provided that effective antivenoms are readily available and administered swiftly. These antivenoms are classified as essential medicines by the WHO, which believes they should be included in any primary healthcare package tailored for regions where snakebites are common.
In her own account, Nwangene reported being awakened around 8:30 AM by a painful bite on her wrist from a grey snake. Following the incident, two snakes were discovered in her home, one being a medium-sized cobra located in her bedroom. In Nigeria, 41% of the 29 snake species present are venomous, and there have been notable shortages of antivenom across Africa, exacerbated by manufacturing issues and concerns regarding the quality of some products.
Upon arriving at the first hospital in Abuja, it was revealed that antivenom was unavailable, as noted in social media posts by her brother. She was then transported to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), where she received treatment involving polyvalent snake antivenom. Unfortunately, she succumbed to severe neurotoxic complications resulting from the snakebite and experienced a sudden health decline.
Sam Ezugwu, director of the Amemuso choir and a close friend of Nwangene, rushed to the hospital after she sought help through their choir’s WhatsApp group. He later recounted that doctors at FMC urgently required neostigmine, a medication used alongside antivenoms in snakebite cases, but the hospital had run out of supplies. Tragically, while he was out procuring this crucial drug from a nearby pharmacy, Nwangene passed away.
"We returned to the hospital only to find Ifunanya's lifeless body on the bed," he shared in a heartfelt statement posted on the choir’s Facebook page. "We cried, prayed, screamed, but she could no longer hear us."
A recent survey conducted by the Strike Out Snakebite global initiative, which included responses from 904 healthcare professionals across Brazil, Nigeria, India, and Indonesia, showed that 99% of participants faced challenges related to the administration of antivenom. Common issues included inadequate training to monitor patient signs, poor infrastructure, insufficient equipment, and frequent shortages of antivenom, with over a third of respondents reporting these challenges.
Elhadj As Sy, chancellor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and co-chair of the Global Snakebite Taskforce, emphasized that although solutions exist, political commitment and decisive action from partners and investors are essential to combat this preventable yet devastating neglected tropical disease. He called for a shift from sympathy to meaningful action, stating, "Snakebite must no longer be overlooked or underfunded by the international community. It is time for action—action commensurate with the scale of this crisis."
The FMC has defended its actions, asserting that appropriate antivenom was available and that their medical staff provided immediate care, including resuscitation efforts and intravenous fluids. They insisted that claims regarding the lack of antivenom and inadequate responses do not reflect the reality of the situation and stand by the quality of care delivered by their healthcare team.
