It’s hard to find treatment for snakebites in Kenya. Thousands of people are dying every year

By ZELIPHA KIROBI
Associated Press

MWINGI, Kenya (AP) — Antivenom for snakebites can be hard to find in Kenya, where about 4,000 snakebite victims die every year. About 7,000 others experience paralysis or other health complications. Residents fear the problem is growing. As the forests around them shrink due to logging and agricultural expansion, snakes are turning up around homes more frequently. Experts say climate change also can drive snakes into homesteads, as they seek water in dry times and shelter in wet. Researchers are trying to create effective, locally produced snakebite treatments that Kenyans can afford.