Two residents of Lissam Sambo (Pangtso) community in Ussa Local Government Area of Taraba State have died from separate snakebite incidents within 24 hours, prompting renewed calls for the government to provide life-saving antivenom to the remote border community.
The victims reportedly died on July 23 after they were unable to access appropriate medical treatment following the snakebites.
One of the victims, identified as Elder Bako Awanki, was said to have died on Thursday evening after suffering a snakebite, while another resident, bitten in a separate incident at a different location, also died later that night.
The deaths have heightened concerns over the absence of healthcare facilities equipped to manage snakebite emergencies in Lissam Sambo (Pangtso), a community located along the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
Residents said both victims relied on traditional treatment because antivenom was unavailable within the community, a situation believed to have contributed to their deaths.
Reacting to the incidents, Chairman of the Lissam Sambo (Pangtso) Community Development Association, Danladi Bewa, described the deaths as tragic, saying snakebite fatalities had become a recurring challenge in the area.
According to him, several residents have lost their lives in similar circumstances due to the lack of access to antivenom, while the nearest health facilities capable of treating snakebite victims are located far from the community.
Bewa appealed to the Chairman of Ussa Local Government Area, Abershi Musa, to urgently provide antivenom for the community to avert further loss of lives.
He also urged the Taraba State Commissioner for Health to intervene by ensuring that the life-saving medication is supplied to the area.
The community leader stressed that timely access to antivenom would significantly reduce preventable deaths and improve emergency healthcare services in the border settlement.
While expressing confidence in the willingness of the local and state governments to address the situation, Bewa said immediate intervention had become imperative to prevent more avoidable deaths.
He described the recurring fatalities as a public health emergency that requires urgent government attention.
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