TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of the availability of snakebite antivenom in health facilities in Ndola District, Zambia
T2 - a cross-sectional study
AU - Matafwali, Scott K.
AU - Vlahakis, Pipina A.
AU - Daka, Victor
AU - Witika, Bwalya A.
AU - Nyirenda, Herbert T.
AU - Chisompola, Namaunga K.
AU - Mwila, Chiluba
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
PY - 2022/6/1
Y1 - 2022/6/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Despite snakebite antivenom being included on the WHO list of essential medicines, many parts of the world, especially Africa, lack effective and safe antivenoms. METHODS: A descriptive, field-based, cross-sectional study was undertaken from August to November 2020 in 40 out of 71 health facilities in Ndola district. Interviews and physical inspection were conducted at each facility. RESULTS: The study revealed that only three (8%) of all the private health facilities had antivenom available at the time of the assessment. Factors significantly associated with antivenom supply included lack of central country supply (90%), lack of demand of the antivenom (55%) and no budget allocation for the antivenom (95%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high number of notified snakebites within Ndola district, there remains poor availability of snakebite antivenom within the district.
AB - BACKGROUND: Despite snakebite antivenom being included on the WHO list of essential medicines, many parts of the world, especially Africa, lack effective and safe antivenoms. METHODS: A descriptive, field-based, cross-sectional study was undertaken from August to November 2020 in 40 out of 71 health facilities in Ndola district. Interviews and physical inspection were conducted at each facility. RESULTS: The study revealed that only three (8%) of all the private health facilities had antivenom available at the time of the assessment. Factors significantly associated with antivenom supply included lack of central country supply (90%), lack of demand of the antivenom (55%) and no budget allocation for the antivenom (95%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high number of notified snakebites within Ndola district, there remains poor availability of snakebite antivenom within the district.
KW - accessibility, antivenom, availability
KW - Ndola, snakebites
KW - Zambia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131225479&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/trstmh/trab178
DO - 10.1093/trstmh/trab178
M3 - Article
C2 - 34850233
AN - SCOPUS:85131225479
VL - 116
SP - 592
EP - 594
JO - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
SN - 0035-9203
IS - 6
ER -
