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Discover the people and the projects trying to make the world a better place

Discover the people and the projects trying to make the world a better place.

Discover the people and the projects trying to make the world a better place.

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People Fixing The World: The snakebite squad

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The snakebite squad

BBC World Service - People Fixing The World, The snakebite squad

A team in Kenya has introduced motorbike ambulances for people bitten by snakes

A team in Kenya is piloting motorbike ambulances for people bitten by snakes and is also developing new antivenoms

It's estimated that a person dies from a snakebite every five minutes. Many more people face life-changing injuries, losing limbs and consequently their livelihoods.
 
Antivenoms are expensive to make and are in short supply, particularly in remote communities where they are needed the most.  And what’s more, snakebites in different parts of the world need different types of antivenoms. Many of the current treatments available in sub-Saharan Africa have been developed from snakes in Asia, but antivenom made to treat Indian snakebites won’t work as well on people bitten by snakes in Africa.

Now a new research facility in Kenya is trying to develop better antivenoms from African snakes.   
And they've launched a motorbike snakebite ambulance service too, to get people who have been bitten to hospital fast.

(Photo Credit: BBC)

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