In brief
Ifunanya Nwangene, a 26-year-old singer renowned for her participation in 'The Voice Nigeria,' tragically lost her life after a snakebite in her home. The incident has sparked concerns over the healthcare system's ability to handle snakebites in Nigeria, where the availability of antivenom is often inadequate. Her father’s account of the events and calls for change from both her family and the community emphasize the urgent need for an improved healthcare response to snakebites, which claim thousands of lives annually in the region.
Ifunanya Nwangene was asleep last Saturday morning in her ground-floor apartment in Nigeria's capital city when she was awoken at around 08:00 by a searing pain on her wrist.
A snake came up on her bed and bit her, Ifunanya's father Christopher Nwangene told the BBC's Newsday programme.
The tragic incident, which ultimately resulted in Ifunanya's death, has raised serious concerns about how hospitals handle snakebites and the availability of antivenom throughout Nigeria, a country marked by the world's third-highest incidence of snakebites.
Ifunanya, a well-known soprano singer who gained fame on the local version of the TV competition The Voice, knew she needed antivenom urgently. She applied a tourniquet around her arm in a desperate attempt to stem the spread of venom, a method that is no longer advised as it can cause more harm than good.
Upon arriving at a hospital, Ifunanya discovered there was no antivenom available. This alarming shortage forced her to seek treatment at another facility, the Federal Medical Centre in Abuja.
Christopher said her condition deteriorated rapidly after medical staff removed the tourniquet.
Friends and family rushed to the hospital in hopes of providing further support, but despite their efforts to procure more antivenom, it was too late. Ifunanya succumbed to the effects of the venom, prompting widespread grief and urgent calls to action regarding the healthcare system's response to snakebites in Nigeria.
Nigeria faces a dire situation with snakebites, with an estimated 20,000 incidents reported each year. The crisis is further exacerbated by a severe lack of affordable antivenom, compounded by storage issues due to inconsistent electricity supply in many regions.
The Nigerian Senate has called for a revision of antivenom availability and healthcare strategies, yet the lack of a specific timeline for implementation raises doubts about timely change. Experts urge that political commitment and improved healthcare responses are essential to end these preventable deaths.
