Adobe/stock
19 September | International Snakebite Awareness Day
Rio de Janeiro, 19 September 2026 (PANAFTOSA/VPH-PAHO/WHO) – On International Snakebite Awareness Day, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is drawing attention to a neglected public health problem that affects more than 57,000 people each year in the Americas and can result in deaths, disabilities and long-term consequences. The true burden may be even greater due to underreporting, particularly in rural areas and places with limited access to health services.
During 2026, PAHO, through the Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA/VPH), and in coordination with PAHO Country Offices and national authorities, carried out technical cooperation missions in Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. The activities included reviews of national programs, training for health professionals and analysis of priority areas such as epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis and treatment, clinical protocols, and the planning, distribution and timely access to antivenoms.
These activities enabled national teams to identify gaps, define cooperation priorities and advance roadmaps tailored to the situation and needs of each country.
At the regional level, PANAFTOSA promotes cooperation among national programs through the Network of Programs for Envenomings Caused by Venomous Animals in Latin America and the Caribbean (REDPEVA), and among public antivenom-producing laboratories through the Network of Public Antivenom-Producing Laboratories of Latin America (RELAPA).
These initiatives are complemented by the work of the PAHO Strategic Fund to improve the availability of and timely access to safe, effective and quality-assured antivenoms in the Region.
PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to strengthening prevention, surveillance, diagnosis and treatment, as well as to a more coordinated regional response. “PAHO is committed to making snakebite a public health priority. Together, we can save lives and leave no one behind,” he said.
PAHO’s regional cooperation also benefits from the support of strategic partners, including Wellcome Trust, to expand collaboration, strengthen technical capacities and support the development of solutions to envenomings caused by venomous animals.enosos.
