From a small hospital ward in Kaltungo to a National Research Centre

The Kaltungo Snakebite Treatment and Research Hospital has reached a historic milestone, earning national recognition after conducting what experts describe as the world’s largest research on snakebite cases involving pregnant women and children. The achievement is among the key factors that led to the Federal Government’s decision to upgrade the institution to the National Snakebite Research and Medical Centre. In this special report, the Principal Medical Officer explains how the facility evolved from a single ward in General Hospital Kaltungo into a dedicated clinic, later becoming a treatment and research hospital, and now a national centre of excellence in snakebite research, treatment and training. He also highlights the Centre’s contributions to global scientific knowledge and its role in providing life-saving care to thousands of snakebite victims from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The report also captures the appeal by health experts for greater international support to make snakebite treatment free or heavily subsidised, similar to interventions for HIV/AIDS and malaria, noting that the majority of victims are poor farmers and rural dwellers who cannot afford the high cost of anti-snake venom. Also featured are the views of the Chief Nursing Officer, who commends the Gombe State Government for laying the foundation that made the Centre’s national recognition possible while calling for additional snakebite treatment facilities across the state. Patients and their relatives also share their experiences, welcoming the Centre’s upgrade but expressing concern over the high cost of anti-snake venom, which continues to prevent many victims from accessing timely, life-saving treatment. Watch this exclusive Nexus Channels Special Report on the remarkable journey of the Kaltungo Snakebite Centre, its global research achievements, and the hope its new national status brings to snakebite victims across Nigeria.