LAHORE: The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) has launched a unique Snake Anti-Venom Production Project to treat the victims of snake-bite in the country.

Head of the Project Dr.Ziaullah Mughul while describing the important facts regarding the snake-bite incidents in the country told APP here Wednesday that every year around 50,000 people die in Pakistan due to snake-bite. Only five to six per cent anti-venom vaccine is prepared by the National Institute of Health (NIH) against the required 150,000 vaccines per annum and that too is not easily available in the markets.

Therefore, mostly patients die due to unavailability of anti-venom vaccine in the country putting the total mortality number to 50,000 deaths annually, he added. Around 90 per cent snake-bite deaths could have been prevented if anti-venom vaccine was produced at local level, said Dr. Ziaullah.

During the recent flood, the incidents of snake-bite were contributed to five to six per cent of the total mortality while the anti-venom vaccine had to import from India.

Dr. Ziaullah was of his view that the locally prepared anti-venom dose which would be effective for four kinds of snake would be available in just Rs 400 while the anti-venom vaccine imported from India was available in Rs 1,900 and this was effective for only one kind of snake. The snake-bite victim needs four doses for complete treatment, Dr.Ziaullah Mughul added.

The commercialization of this project is needed Rs 400 million while after its completion this anti-venom dose would also be available for export to earn billions of rupees, he maintained.

The USA and Australia are earning a big amount of money through the export of anti-venom drugs, Dr.Ziaullah informed.