Green group Deep Ecology and Snake Rescue Foundation (DESRF) has conducted an information dissemination campaign creating awareness to 1,700 students in eight districts.
The campaign was organized marking the International Snakebite Awareness Day 2022, all set for observance locally and globally on Monday.
The volunteers under the organization visited different schools at snakebite prone areas of Sylhet, Feni, Kushtia, Magura, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Manikganj, Gazipur and Keraniganj of Dhaka and disseminated information.
During the school visits, volunteers shared information on things to do after snake biting, safety tips, and the importance of presence of snakes in the nature through banner, poster, video presentation and leaflets, according to a press release.
This year, the World Health Organization sets the theme of the day as “Challenges and Barriers to Accessing Effective Treatment”.
In Bangladesh, snakebite causes over 6,000 deaths, and only 3% of them visit doctors, while 86% of the people tend to visit ojha (healer), according to a research-based database prepared by former DGHS Director General Prof MA Faiz, the press release said.
This number makes snakebite deaths the second leading cause of untimely deaths in Bangladesh.
Launched in 2018, the DESRF is working on snake recovery, snakebite awareness, and conservation of nature.
Currently, around 550 volunteers under the foundation are working across Bangladesh.
