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South Africa Faces Critical Antivenom Shortage Amid Rising Snakebite Cases
Time to read: 02:47
Published: 5 February 2025
The South African National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has stopped manufacturing snake, scorpion, and spider antivenom, with no clear timeline for resumption, placing millions across sub-Saharan Africa at risk.
The NHLS has confirmed that all antivenom production ceased due to construction work, leaving stockpiles empty—except for boomslang antivenom.
The NHLS states that extensive upgrades at the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP) facility led to the suspension of antivenom production. The infrastructure, already ageing, struggled to comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and frequent load shedding exacerbated operational disruptions. The Service is now focused on cleaning, validation, and quality control to meet regulatory standards before resuming production. “We are doing everything possible to speed up the process and will provide updates,” Gcukumana assured.
According to Arno Naude of Snake Bite Assist: “It’s cheaper but requires higher doses. Worse, it’s unavailable in state hospitals and isn’t registered for use on South African snakebites, meaning doctors refuse to administer it.”
The NHLS no longer has antivenom for scorpion stings or spider bites. A child in Botswana recently died from a scorpion sting after their family sold everything to afford antivenom—
only to find it was ineffective against local species.
Naude warns that deaths could reach the hundreds or thousands, especially in the Northern Western Cape, Northern Cape, Limpopo, Botswana, and Namibia, where deadly thicktail scorpions are common.
In a press statement issued on its website, the DA stated: “We will demand clarity on how much anti-venom has been produced and distributed since 2023. The NHLS must also account for reported shortages in hospitals and what is being done to address them.”
Even if the NHLS resumes production immediately, experts warn that it could take months before new antivenom reaches hospitals.
“We have a huge crisis on our hands,” Naude emphasised. “And this country should be held responsible for deaths across sub-Saharan Africa because of what the NHLS has done.”
This story was compiled from various sources including:
5 March 2025 | DA | DA to question NHLS over deadly anti-venom shortage
5 March 2025 | Daily Maverick | ‘Nightmare crisis’ — SA’s National Health Laboratories run out of snake, scorpion and spider antivenom
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