Giant Snake Statues in Geneva Highlight Global Snakebite Crisis

Geneva, Switzerland – May 30, 2025 – Eight large, colorful snake statues appeared in a Geneva park during the World Health Assembly in May 2025, capturing attention as part of the Strike Out Snakebite initiative launched at the World Health Forum. The statues, one featuring the colors of the Nigerian flag and another depicting a Russell’s Viper from South and Southeast Asia, were erected to raise awareness about snakebite envenoming, described by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2015 as “the biggest public health crisis you’ve never heard of.”

Each year, approximately 140,000 people die from snakebite envenoming, with 2 to 3 million others surviving but often facing severe injuries or long-term disabilities, such as limb loss, ulcers, or psychological issues like depression and PTSD. Recognized by the World Health Organization in 2017 as a neglected tropical disease, snakebite remains underaddressed, particularly in Africa, where access to effective, high-quality antivenoms is limited due to poor regulation and high costs. David Lalloo, vice chancellor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, noted, “Since then, only limited progress has been made.”

The Strike Out Snakebite campaign, led by Lalloo and global health experts, aims to refocus attention on this crisis. The statues, described as “spectacularly colored and pretty large,” were strategically placed to spark curiosity and conversation, with Lalloo himself initially puzzled by their unlabeled presence in the park. The initiative pushes for improved antivenom access and innovative treatments, such as targeted antibody therapies and oral drugs that could neutralize toxins in remote settings, unlike current intravenous antivenoms.

While the statues have drawn significant attention, some critics on X question their cost and effectiveness, with @HealthSkeptic posting, “Giant snakes in Geneva? Hope the funds for those statues didn’t cut into actual antivenom research.” Nonetheless, the initiative has successfully reignited global discussion on snakebite, emphasizing its devastating impact and the urgent need for accessible solutions.