Benue receives 100 vials of anti-snake venom from federal ministry

Benue State has received 100 vials of anti-snake venom valued at more than N25 million from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, for the treatment of snakebite victims in its health facilities.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Paul Ogwuche, received the consignment in Makurdi and said it followed the state's request to the federal ministry. He said the medicine would particularly help residents who cannot afford treatment when bitten, and that its availability should allow victims to be treated promptly rather than delayed while families raise money.

The ministry's permanent secretary, Cephas Hough, said the donation would strengthen the state's capacity to respond to snakebite cases. The consignment was handed to the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Regina Chi-Chi Agir, for documentation, storage and warehousing, and the commissioner said distribution would be tracked to ensure the vials reach patients who need them. Snakebite is a recurring hazard for farming households across Nigeria's middle belt, where treatment is often delayed by distance to a stocked facility and by the price of imported antivenom.