Inequalities in access to antivenom: An ethical issue in the management of snakebite envenoming.

ABSTRACT

Snakebite envenoming is a high-priority neglected tropical disease and antivenom is the cornerstone of treatment. Antivenom is listed among essential medicines and its access must be considered as a human right. Despite resolutions from various international organizations including the WHO, antivenom remains unavailable, unaffordable, and sometimes not targeted against the specific snake involved. Also, despite an expanding global antivenom market, some manufacturers have stopped production due to a lack of profits. However, justice and equitable access to care according to medical needs are among the four pillars of medical ethics. Overall, snakebite envenoming is a typical example of social and ethnic inequity in medicine. It is imperative that this issue be addressed from an ethical standpoint and that government laboratories take the lead in antivenom production.