📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Health
Maharashtra declares snakebite a notifiable disease after 655 deaths in three years
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 08:38 AM
👁 20
The state government has ordered snakebite to be listed as a notifiable disease following 655 fatalities recorded over the past three years.
Mumbai, Aug 19 (Mid-Day) – The Maharashtra health ministry issued an order today classifying snakebite as a notifiable disease under the state’s public health surveillance system. The move obliges all medical facilities, from primary health centres to tertiary hospitals, to report every case of envenomation to the state health department within a stipulated time frame.
The decision follows data compiled by the department showing 655 deaths attributed to snakebite across Maharashtra between 2021 and 2023. Officials said the high mortality rate highlighted gaps in early detection, treatment access and accurate record‑keeping.
By making snakebite notifiable, the government aims to create a real‑time database that can guide resource allocation, improve antivenom distribution and support targeted awareness campaigns in high‑risk districts. Health officials anticipate that systematic reporting will also enable better epidemiological research and policy formulation.
The health ministry has directed district medical officers to train staff on the new reporting protocol and to ensure that case forms are uploaded to the state’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme portal. The order will take effect from September 1, 2026.
The decision follows data compiled by the department showing 655 deaths attributed to snakebite across Maharashtra between 2021 and 2023. Officials said the high mortality rate highlighted gaps in early detection, treatment access and accurate record‑keeping.
By making snakebite notifiable, the government aims to create a real‑time database that can guide resource allocation, improve antivenom distribution and support targeted awareness campaigns in high‑risk districts. Health officials anticipate that systematic reporting will also enable better epidemiological research and policy formulation.
The health ministry has directed district medical officers to train staff on the new reporting protocol and to ensure that case forms are uploaded to the state’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme portal. The order will take effect from September 1, 2026.