Gombe Hosts Toxinological Society’s 2nd Scientific Conference, Deputy Governor Urges Indigenous Antivenom Production

Gombe State Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, connected Monday declared unfastened the 2nd Scientific Conference and General Meeting of the Toxinological Society of Nigeria (TSN) astatine Gombe State University (GSU).

Speaking connected behalf of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, the Deputy Governor emphasized the value of the event, particularly arsenic Gombe is location to the Snake Bite Hospital successful Kaltungo, which serves the North-East and neighbouring countries.

Highlighting the state’s wellness assemblage investments, including infirmary upgrades, 228 superior wellness centres, and a College of Nursing Sciences, Dr. Jatau called for transforming the Kaltungo Snake Bite Hospital into a probe institute susceptible of producing and exporting snake venom and antivenom.

Speaking connected the league theme, “Exploring Indigenous Antivenom Development and Therapy successful Nigeria: Policies, Challenges and Opportunities,” helium urged nationalist enactment for section probe into medicines and vaccines from indigenous resources, noting their imaginable to make jobs, trim costs and gain overseas exchange.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Jalo Ibrahim Daudu, said Gombe was chosen deliberately, arsenic it houses Nigeria’s archetypal snakebite attraction centre.

He stressed that section antivenom accumulation would importantly chopped existent precocious importation costs.

Keynote speaker, Prof. Abdulrazaq Garba Habib, stated that Nigeria faces the highest snakebite load successful Africa, spending $10-12 cardinal annually connected antivenom imports.He argued that a akin magnitude could found a home accumulation works and advocated for public-private partnerships, serpentariums, and venom postulation arsenic archetypal steps.

The Mai Kaltungo, Engineer Saleh Mohammed, suggested applicable measures similar providing villagers with boots and gloves, and gathering agrarian roads to amended entree to treatment.

GSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sani Ahmed Yauta, described snakebite arsenic a large nationalist wellness contented successful agrarian areas similar Kaltungo.

He noted that the league would assistance make research-driven solutions and presumption the assemblage globally.

Other speakers, including Emeritus Prof. Idris Mohammed and Dr. Ismail Jibrin, commended the TSN’s efforts and urged stronger collaboration betwixt academia and authorities to tackle snakebite challenges successful communities