Patiala, July 11 -- In a move aimed at improving surveillance and reducing fatalities, the Punjab government has notified all snakebite cases and related deaths as a "notifiable event", requiring immediate reporting by all government and private healthcare facilities. Issuing a notification, the government has directed every health institution, hospital, nursing home, medical college, clinical establishment, diagnostic centre and other healthcare facility in Punjab to maintain records of all suspected, probable and confirmed snakebite cases, as well as snakebite-related deaths. Registered medical practitioners and healthcare facilities have also been instructed to report all such cases to public health or district health authorities immediately. Following the notification, the Punjab health department on Friday directed all civil surgeons to ensure strict compliance by disseminating instructions to every healthcare facility in their districts. District health authorities have been tasked with ensuring timely compilation, verification, analysis and transmission of snakebite surveillance data to the state surveillance unit and other competent authorities. The notification states that snakebite envenoming is a significant public health problem, particularly in rural and agrarian areas, where it causes substantial morbidity and mortality. Prompt reporting of snakebites will help establish a comprehensive surveillance and reporting mechanism, aligning with the Government of India's National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE). The national plan seeks to reduce snakebite-related deaths and disabilities by half by 2030 through strengthened surveillance, timely reporting, effective treatment and coordinated public health interventions. The notification states that reporting should include epidemiological, clinical and outcome-related information required for surveillance, monitoring, planning of public health interventions and implementation of NAPSE. The latest notification is expected to improve snakebite surveillance, and help the state formulate more effective prevention and treatment strategies. NAPSE tackles the "Big Four" venomous snakes responsible for nearly all fatal envenomations in the country: the Indian Spectacled Cobra, Common Krait, Russell's Viper, and Saw-scaled Viper. In India, an estimated 3-4 million snakebites occur annually, resulting in around 50,000 deaths, which account for half of all snakebite deaths globally, according to the Union health ministry. Administration of polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV) containing antibodies is effective in 80% of the snakebite cases. But only a small proportion of snake bite victims report to clinics and hospitals, Lack of trained human resources and health facilities to treat snakebite patients also remains a cause of concern. Further, unavailability of data on incidence, morbidity, mortality, socio-economic burden and treatment patterns leave the actual burden of snakebite grossly underreported, a major hindrance in mitigation planning. In Punjab, according to available data, 2,886 snakebite cases and 39 deaths were reported in 2024. While the number of cases increased from 2,693 in 2023, fatalities declined from 54 to 39, indicating improved access to treatment and case management. Gurdaspur recorded the highest number of snakebite cases at 450, followed by Jalandhar (361) and Patiala (253). However, Moga reported the highest number of deaths (12) despite registering fewer cases, while Jalandhar recorded eight deaths and Patiala one. In 2023, Patiala had reported the highest number of snakebite deaths (23), whereas Gurdaspur topped the state with 521 cases....