Snakebite envenomations represent a
public health problem of great impact, especially in
sub-Saharan Africa,
Asia,
Latin America and some regions of
Oceania.1 They predominantly
affect people living in impoverished rural agricultural settings. Historically
snakebite has received little
attention from
health authorities,
research agendas,
pharmaceutical companies and
health advocacy groups. However, a growing
awareness of the seriousness of these envenomations has developed in recent years. The
World Health Organization (
WHO) incorporated
snakebite envenomation as a category A
disease in its list of
neglected tropical diseases and is developing an integrated global road map to confront it. Moreover, a resolution was adopted in May 2018 by the 71st
World Health Assembly that gives
WHO a strong mandate to develop comprehensive actions for improving the prevention and management of these envenomations on a global scale.2 In
Latin America and the
Caribbean, the
Pan American Health Organization (
PAHO) is building a regional plan to confront this
neglected disease. The main pending issues to deal with
snakebite envenomation in this region are discussed in this
editorial, with the aim of highlighting areas where urgent actions are required.