Launching the WHO Snakebite Envenoming Roadmap

This proposal is to request support to launch the WHO Snakebite Envenoming (SBE) Roadmap on the side of the World Health Assembly (WHA), on 23 May 2019. The event will have high level participation from countries, WHO Senior Management, Non-State Actors and antivenom manufacturers. In May 2018, the WHA adopted a resolution to address the snakebite envenoming that was led by Costa Rica and co-sponsored by 31 additional Member States. A SBE Roadmap has been developed with multi-stakeholders providing a clear plan of action and aligns with targets set by WHO's 13th General Programme of Work and the Sustainable Development Goals. Dr Mike Turner is a member of the WHO SBE working group and Wellcome Trust has been engaged in the process since the beginning and made it possible to host a small drafting group in Geneva, and the complete SBE WG in London in June 2018 that produced the zero draft. WT contribution goes beyond financial support but would contribute directly to the roadmap's implementation through reviving and stabilizing the market for effective antivenoms; accelerating research and innovation to improve existing antivenoms; developing alternatives and working with funders, researchers, policymakers and industry to accelerate progress.