The Karnataka government on Friday published the State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (SAPSE), becoming the first State in the country to release a comprehensive roadmap dedicated exclusively to tackling snakebite. The government simultaneously launched the State Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (SAPRE), reiterating its target of achieving zero human deaths due to dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
Launching the plans under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the objective was to ensure that “no life is lost due to delay in treatment or lack of access to medicines.”
Snakebite, classified by the World Health Organisation as a Neglected Tropical Disease, continues to pose a significant public health challenge. In India, estimates suggest around 50,000 deaths each year, besides a large number of survivors left with amputations or permanent disabilities. Public health experts have pointed out that the actual burden is likely higher, as many victims do not reach formal healthcare facilities.
Karnataka’s figures
In Karnataka, recorded cases of snakebite envenoming and deaths have seen a sharp rise from 6,596 bite cases and 19 deaths in 2023 to 13,235 bite cases and 100 deaths in 2024 and 16,805 bite cases and 154 deaths in 2025. Attributing the increase in number of cases recorded to increased surveillance, Padma M.R., Deputy Director (State Surveillance Unit) said this follows Karnataka declaring snakebite envenoming cases and deaths notifiable under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020, in February 2024.
The State Action Plan seeks to address these gaps through strengthened surveillance, assured availability of anti-snake venom (ASV), early referral and transport, capacity building of healthcare personnel, and sustained public awareness campaigns. Karnataka had earlier declared snakebite a notifiable disease, mandating reporting of all cases and deaths to improve data collection and guide policy response, Dr. Padma said.
The plan aligns with the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE), launched by the Union government in March 2024, and aims to reduce snakebite deaths and disabilities by half by 2030. It envisages coordinated action by multiple departments, including Health, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Forest, Panchayat Raj, Education, Labour, Finance and Home.
Key strategies
The Health Minister said key strategies include promoting behavioural change through Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities, encouraging rural communities to seek treatment at the nearest health facility instead of traditional healers, ensuring early transport of victims, prompt administration of ASV, management of complications and rehabilitation of those left disabled.
The Health Department has identified designated snakebite treatment centres, supplied ASV stocks and circulated standard treatment guidelines. Free treatment will be provided in government facilities. Private hospitals have been directed to administer immediate life-saving care without insisting on advance payment, he said.
State Action Plan for Rabies
Alongside SAPSE, the State rolled out SAPRE under the National Rabies Control Programme. Rabies was declared a notifiable disease in Karnataka in December 2022. The government has mandated the availability of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) in all Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, taluk and district hospitals, with instructions to maintain adequate stocks.
Private hospitals have also been directed to stock ARV and RIG and provide emergency treatment without demanding advance payment. State- and district-level joint committees have been constituted to oversee implementation, in coordination with various government departments and non-governmental organisations.
A “Rabies-Free Cities Initiative” is being implemented in 11 major cities, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad. City-specific action plans focus on mass dog vaccination, dog population management, strengthened surveillance and improved waste management.
Dr. Padma said the success of both action plans would depend on sustained inter-departmental coordination and community participation, particularly timely wound washing, prompt reporting of bites, and completion of the full course of post-exposure prophylaxis in rabies cases.
Published – February 27, 2026 10:13 pm IST
