golden hour in emergency care

ICMR’s Zero Snakebite Death Initiative

India faces the world’s highest burden of snakebite deaths, largely due to delayed treatment and weak rural health linkages. The ICMR-led Zero Snakebite Death Initiative seeks to address this gap by integrating community-based prevention, rapid response, and evidence-driven health system strengthening, drawing on successful local models such as Assam’s Demow Model. By shifting the focus from hospital-centric care to early intervention and community empowerment, the initiative offers a realistic pathway to significantly reduce preventable snakebite mortality in India.