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 had bitten her. Her father, Christopher Nwangene, described the events leading to his daughter's tragic death as serious concerns regarding how hospitals in Nigeria manage snakebites and the availability of antivenom are raised. Nigeria has the world's third-highest incidence of snakebites.
Ifunanya, who rose to fame on 'The Voice Nigeria,' knew she needed immediate medical assistance. In desperation, she applied a tourniquet to her arm, an outdated method that can cause serious injury but was likely done in panic to limit venom spread.
Upon reaching the hospital, she faced the harrowing reality of no available antivenom, forcing her to go to another facility. Despite her family’s attempts to find antivenom, it ultimately was too late, and Ifunanya died, leaving behind a grieving family and community.
Her story resonates amidst a broader ongoing crisis in Nigeria, where many snakebite victims face inadequate medical responses and severe shortages of life-saving treatments. Experts indicate that legislation and new measures are critical to address this neglected public health issue.
