THE Myanmar Academy of Medical Science (MAMS) is currently drafting plans for a snakebite control project aimed at reducing the number of deaths caused by venomous snakes, an official from the academy said last week.

“It is difficult to prevent snakebites but we can treat them when they occur and prevent deaths of we act quickly enough,” said Dr U Ko Ko, the president of the academy. “The pilot project that we are drafting will be aimed as reducing the death rate from snakebites.”

He said that in drafting and carrying out its plan, the academy would cooperate with other organisations involved in snakebite control, as well as with the Department of Medical Research, Health Education Bureau and the local pharmaceuticals industry.

The pilot project, which the academy hopes to start by the end of this year, will take place in some of the townships now included in the Department of Health’s anti-snakebite project.

“The project will likely include distributing anti snake venom (ASV) to health workers in the pilot areas, arranging snakebite education talks and distributing educational pamphlets,” Dr U Ko Ko said.

Myanmar has one of the highest rates of death by snakebite in the world. A mid-year report from MAMS this year noted that according to Ministry of Health statistics, 7.31 percent of deaths throughout Myanmar in 1999 were from snakebites. The death rate was 7.03pc in 2000, 8.4pc in 2001 and 7.5pc in 2002.

The report was released at the academy’s mid-year conference, which was held at the University of Nursing in Yangon on September 2 and attended by about 200 people, including senior officials from the Ministry of Health, MAMS members and invited guests.