India's Silent Snakebite Toll: Thousands Die Each Year

India loses about 50,000 people to snakebites annually, roughly half of global deaths, with delays in treatment, scarce antivenom, and weak rural healthcare infrastructure driving serious complications. A GST report highlights barriers faced by healthcare workers, while India's 2024 National Action Plan aims to halve snakebite deaths by 2030, though implementation is uneven and region-specific antivenoms are still lacking beyond the major snake species.