Sindh faces a critical issue. They record nearly 54,000 snakebite cases each year. But the government still has no anti-venom vaccine. This is despite spending huge amounts of money. The effort has been ongoing since 2012.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) met to review this. PAC Chairman Nisar Ahmed Khuhro led the session. Officials revealed troubling information. The provincial health department spent Rs. 1.7 billion. This was between 2012 and 2023. The goal was to make the anti-snake venom vaccine. All that spending yielded no results.
They moved the project in 2024. It shifted to the livestock department. An extra Rs. 350 million was released to them. However, no vaccine doses have been made. This is the situation between 2024 and 2025.
Livestock Secretary Kazim Jatoi attended. Director General Dr. Nazir Hussain Kalhoro was also present. They reviewed audit reports. The Sindh Institute of Animal Health is taking action. They awarded a tender for Rs. 300 million. This will buy machinery and equipment. The tools will come from Germany, Switzerland, and the US. They plan to develop the vaccine within one year.
Dr. Kalhoro provided context on snakes. Sindh has 55 snake species. Thirteen of them are venomous. Seven species are deadly. These include cobras. Though bites are high, annual deaths are lower. Estimated annual deaths are 500 to 1,000. The health department needs to confirm the exact number.
Currently, only the NIH in Islamabad makes anti-venom. Sindh receives about 4,000 doses. This is severely inadequate for the province’s need. Dr. Kalhoro gave an assurance. The livestock department aims to produce its own vaccine. They target production within a year.
The anti-venom project started as an Annual Development Programme. The initial scheme was worth Rs. 2.8 billion in 2012.
Snakes and horses have been purchased. The vaccine is made using snake venom and horse blood.
Audit officials had other concerns. The livestock department failed to make other vaccines too. They missed targets for PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) and FMD (foot and mouth disease). This failure causes high animal mortality. The Secretary stated the PPR vaccine is now finished. Work on the FMD vaccine is still underway.
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