The development and use of immunotherapy in Africa

The immunotherapy was recently developed due to the improvement of purification techniques of antivenoms and results of the research in toxicology and pharmacology. The utilisation of highly purified IgG fragments leads to a better tolerance and a higher efficacy. Snake envenomations constitute in Africa, as in many tropical countries, an important public health problem. The annual incidence of snakebites reaches I million and the annual mortality is about 20,000 deaths. Less than 25% of the antivenom needs are effectively covered and, probably in most of envenomations, used at insufficient doses. The treatment of snakebites would be improved by better knowledge on snakebite epidemiology, standardisation of treatment and training medical staff, and development of new financial procedures for antivenom supply. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.