GENEVA, Switzerland, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- The U.N. World Health Organization is increasing access to treatment for rabies and snakebites, which threaten the lives of 12 million people each year.
Although access to the right medicine can save lives and prevent disabilities, the U.N. agency said Tuesday that production of these therapeutic medicines is insufficient.
"We need to boost local manufacturers' capacity and improve the delivery of products to remote rural areas," assistant director general for Health Technologies and Pharmaceuticals Howard Zucker said at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
To address this neglected health issue, WHO will create a $10 million plan to boost production in developing countries, he said.
While developed countries don't produce enough of the medicines because they are not profitable, medicine produced in developing countries is not always effective, Zucker said.
Snake bites cause approximately 20,000 deaths in Africa each year and leave many more disabled. Rabies kills millions in Africa and Asia although it could be entirely prevented by vaccination, he added.
More than 10 million anti-venom doses are needed to treat snake bites worldwide, while 16 million anti-rabies vials are needed to prevent death and injuries from animal bites, the agency said.
