A singer's tragic death highlights Nigeria's snakebite problem

Nigerian soprano singer Ifunanya Nwangene died after being bitten by a snake in her Abuja apartment. The incident, which occurred last Saturday morning, has highlighted Nigeria's ongoing struggle with snakebites and antivenom availability. After the bite, Nwangene applied a tourniquet, an outdated practice, and sought treatment at a hospital, but the facility lacked antivenom. She was transferred to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, where she received some antivenom, but her condition deteriorated rapidly. Friends and family attempted to locate additional antivenom while she was being treated. Nigeria has the world's third-highest incidence of snakebites, raising concerns about hospital preparedness and access to life-saving antivenom.