Stakeholders from the health and humanitarian sectors in Benue State have called for the urgent establishment of dedicated snakebite treatment centres across the state to curb preventable deaths from frequent snakebite incidents.

Our correspondent reports that the call was made during the Health Sector Coordination Meeting convened by the state government to strengthen partnerships and improve coordination for better health outcomes in humanitarian response.

The stakeholders also pushed for the creation of a State Emergency Ambulance Service, improved emergency response mechanisms, and stronger systems to tackle rising malnutrition cases, while noting the absence of reliable statistical data to guide interventions.

The participants at the meeting, which included representatives of government MDAs, UN agencies, INGOs, civil society groups and development partners, pointed out the multiple gaps, such as poor abattoir laboratory management, the abandoned environmental lab, and worsening waste disposal practices that endanger public health across the state.

They further identified the urgent need for safe centres for women facing domestic abuse and incentives for registered women groups under the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Earlier, Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation and Development (BICD), Dr Leonard Viashima, who was represented by Beauty Adaaku, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving health outcomes in humanitarian settings.

She responded to the stakeholders who also urged swift government action to address the noticeable gaps, including advocacy for the adoption of a state Nutrition Policy, passage of the Nutrition Bill, and the reticulation of the Greater Makurdi Water Works to ease perennial water scarcity as the dry season sets in. (Daily Trust)