What’s Up With These Slithering Snake Sculptures That Appeared in Switzerland?
Millions get bitten by snakes each year, and tens of thousands of those victims die. Now, global health experts are trying to get those numbers down
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Every year, snakes bite an estimated 5.4 million individuals around the globe. Between 81,000 and 137,000 of those victims die, while many more are left with permanent disabilities. Snakebites disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including children and people living in rural communities and low-income countries.
Now, a new global campaign aims to raise awareness about snakebites, which the World Health Organization describes as a neglected public health issue in some parts of the world.
To kick off the new Global Snakebite Taskforce and its Strike Out Snakebite initiative, artists created a special installation during last month’s World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
The outdoor exhibition included five large-scale snake sculptures made from recycled shoes, a Russell’s viper sculpture made of paper, illustrated posters depicting rural communities and black mambas, and signs that read “Danger! Venomous Snakes!” The pieces were created by artists Lisa Lloyd, Mr. Finbar, Rohan Dahotre and the studio Lazerian.
The artworks were taken down at the conclusion of the World Health Assembly, the annual meeting of the World Health Organization’s member states. But organizers hope to find a new permanent home for the installation, reports NPR’s Jonathan Lambert.
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“People generally are fascinated by snakes. They either love them or hate them but are fascinated,” David Lalloo, vice chancellor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and a member of the taskforce, tells NPR. “So these are a very effective way of capturing their attention, to get the general public behind this as an issue.”
Organizers hoped the colorful outdoor display would boost the visibility of snakebites as a global health issue and motivate world leaders to address the problem. The installation was “more than art,” according to a social media post from the Global Snakebite Taskforce. “It was a wake-up call: Snakebite can no longer be overlooked.”
The biggest problem associated with snakebites is “envenoming,” which occurs when toxins in a snake’s venom cause serious health issues ranging from bleeding disorders and paralysis to kidney failure. Venom also often causes necrosis, or tissue death, at the site of the bite, which can lead to permanent disabilities. In some instances, the affected limb must be amputated.
Antivenoms can help treat some of these symptoms. But they are often expensive and difficult for victims to access, since many live in remote regions. In addition, since venom varies from species to species, doctors must be able to administer the right antivenom—and that’s not always possible using existing distribution systems.
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Experts with the Global Snakebite Taskforce hope to address these and other issues. They also want to run educational campaigns among vulnerable populations to teach them how to avoid getting bitten in the first place, as well as what to do if a venomous snake does strike.
“The ultimate goal is that every adult and child that needs an antivenom gets a high-quality antivenom delivered to them rapidly,” Lalloo tells NPR. “The steps on the way to that are to, first of all, have a choice of different antivenoms we know are both effective and safe, and to have supply chain systems that will get those to the patients that need them.”
In 2019, the World Health Organization set a goal of halving the number of deaths and cases of permanent disability from snakebites by 2030—an initiative it estimated would cost more than $136 million. According to Lalloo, global health experts have only been able to secure a fraction of that total.
Though getting funding will be challenging, the taskforce hopes to look into different sources and alternative models, such as incorporating snakebite prevention and treatment into other initiatives, Lalloo says.
“This is a solvable challenge and one of the most cost-effective global health issues to tackle, with a real possibility to eliminate this suffering,” says Elhadj As Sy, chancellor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and co-chair of the taskforce, in a statement. “We have many of the tools to save lives and livelihoods, but we urgently require the political will, momentum and funding.”
