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A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices

Kevin Arbuckle Orcid Logo, Yowasi Byaruhanga, Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo, Cris M. Kaseke, Francis Mwanguhya, Jessica Mitchell Orcid Logo

Toxins, Volume: 18, Issue: 2, Start page: 78

Swansea University Authors: Kevin Arbuckle Orcid Logo, Hazel Nichols Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/toxins18020078

Abstract

Snakebite envenoming is classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease and causes mortality, morbidity, and economic impacts for hundreds of thousands of people per year, particularly in tropical, low- and middle-income countries. Most research on snakebite interventions focuses on improving clinical ma...

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Published in: Toxins
ISSN: 2072-6651
Published: MDPI AG 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71386
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Most research on snakebite interventions focuses on improving clinical management rather than bite prevention. However, prevention may provide a better mechanism to minimise snakebite impacts, particularly in rural areas where access to effective medical treatment is limited. This study reports on the preliminary testing phase of a participatory workshop intervention run in rural Uganda in 2022&#x2013;23, which used a community engagement approach designed to reduce snakebites through discussing snake behaviour and biology. A mixed methods survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted, both with workshop attendees and non-attendees, after the delivery of the workshops. We found that a fearful attitude toward snakes often led to human&#x2013;snake conflict, with snake killings occurring commonly, and some bites occurring during attempted killings. Workshops appeared to challenge negative attitudes, as understanding snake behaviour seemed to build compassion toward snakes and therefore has the potential to reduce human&#x2013;snake conflict. Those who attended workshops were more likely to suggest &#x2018;giving snakes space,&#x2019; rather than attempting to kill them, and were more likely to suggest hospital treatment if bitten. We also found that many effective methods for snakebite prevention are already known to the community, but those who attended the workshop were aware of a wider range of prevention methods and were more likely to implement less ecologically damaging and more effective strategies. 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spelling 2026-03-12T14:35:59.0308876 v2 71386 2026-02-04 A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices d1775d20b12e430869cc7be5d7d4a27e 0000-0002-9171-5874 Kevin Arbuckle Kevin Arbuckle true false 43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe 0000-0002-4455-6065 Hazel Nichols Hazel Nichols true false 2026-02-04 BGPS Snakebite envenoming is classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease and causes mortality, morbidity, and economic impacts for hundreds of thousands of people per year, particularly in tropical, low- and middle-income countries. Most research on snakebite interventions focuses on improving clinical management rather than bite prevention. However, prevention may provide a better mechanism to minimise snakebite impacts, particularly in rural areas where access to effective medical treatment is limited. This study reports on the preliminary testing phase of a participatory workshop intervention run in rural Uganda in 2022–23, which used a community engagement approach designed to reduce snakebites through discussing snake behaviour and biology. A mixed methods survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted, both with workshop attendees and non-attendees, after the delivery of the workshops. We found that a fearful attitude toward snakes often led to human–snake conflict, with snake killings occurring commonly, and some bites occurring during attempted killings. Workshops appeared to challenge negative attitudes, as understanding snake behaviour seemed to build compassion toward snakes and therefore has the potential to reduce human–snake conflict. Those who attended workshops were more likely to suggest ‘giving snakes space,’ rather than attempting to kill them, and were more likely to suggest hospital treatment if bitten. We also found that many effective methods for snakebite prevention are already known to the community, but those who attended the workshop were aware of a wider range of prevention methods and were more likely to implement less ecologically damaging and more effective strategies. This emphasises that appropriate knowledge resides within the community to prevent snakebites, and so community engagement approaches can improve prevention practices while recognising that the ownership and knowledge for such changes is generated by the local people themselves. Journal Article Toxins 18 2 78 MDPI AG 2072-6651 snakebite; prevention strategies; KAP; behavioural change; public health interventions; community engagement 2 2 2026 2026-02-02 10.3390/toxins18020078 COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University Other This research was funded by a series of small charitable and research grants awarded to J.M., K.A., and H.J.N. between 2021 and 2023. J.M.: University of Leeds Chancellors Essay prize, awarded 2021, and University of Edinburgh Chancellors Fellowship, awarded 2023. H.J.N.: The Greatest Need Fund, Swansea University, awarded March 2021. H.J.N. and K.A.: Research Wales Innovation Fund (RWIF) Collaboration Booster (R3-EEF27), funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, awarded October 2022. K.A.: Hamish Ogston Foundation and Global Snakebite Initiative Grant, awarded 2020. 2026-03-12T14:35:59.0308876 2026-02-04T09:52:19.8589245 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences Kevin Arbuckle 0000-0002-9171-5874 1 Yowasi Byaruhanga 2 Hazel Nichols 0000-0002-4455-6065 3 Cris M. Kaseke 4 Francis Mwanguhya 5 Jessica Mitchell 0000-0002-2892-4630 6 71386__36402__32d7ab7dc56141a29e99850e01bb1d98.pdf 71386.VoR.pdf 2026-03-12T14:33:31.4636597 Output 1602039 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2026 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
spellingShingle A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
Kevin Arbuckle
Hazel Nichols
title_short A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
title_full A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
title_fullStr A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
title_full_unstemmed A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
title_sort A Community Engagement Approach to Snakebite Prevention in Rural Uganda: Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices
author_id_str_mv d1775d20b12e430869cc7be5d7d4a27e
43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe
author_id_fullname_str_mv d1775d20b12e430869cc7be5d7d4a27e_***_Kevin Arbuckle
43ba12986bd7754484874c73eed0ebfe_***_Hazel Nichols
author Kevin Arbuckle
Hazel Nichols
author2 Kevin Arbuckle
Yowasi Byaruhanga
Hazel Nichols
Cris M. Kaseke
Francis Mwanguhya
Jessica Mitchell
format Journal article
container_title Toxins
container_volume 18
container_issue 2
container_start_page 78
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
issn 2072-6651
doi_str_mv 10.3390/toxins18020078
publisher MDPI AG
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Biosciences
document_store_str 1
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description Snakebite envenoming is classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease and causes mortality, morbidity, and economic impacts for hundreds of thousands of people per year, particularly in tropical, low- and middle-income countries. Most research on snakebite interventions focuses on improving clinical management rather than bite prevention. However, prevention may provide a better mechanism to minimise snakebite impacts, particularly in rural areas where access to effective medical treatment is limited. This study reports on the preliminary testing phase of a participatory workshop intervention run in rural Uganda in 2022–23, which used a community engagement approach designed to reduce snakebites through discussing snake behaviour and biology. A mixed methods survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted, both with workshop attendees and non-attendees, after the delivery of the workshops. We found that a fearful attitude toward snakes often led to human–snake conflict, with snake killings occurring commonly, and some bites occurring during attempted killings. Workshops appeared to challenge negative attitudes, as understanding snake behaviour seemed to build compassion toward snakes and therefore has the potential to reduce human–snake conflict. Those who attended workshops were more likely to suggest ‘giving snakes space,’ rather than attempting to kill them, and were more likely to suggest hospital treatment if bitten. We also found that many effective methods for snakebite prevention are already known to the community, but those who attended the workshop were aware of a wider range of prevention methods and were more likely to implement less ecologically damaging and more effective strategies. This emphasises that appropriate knowledge resides within the community to prevent snakebites, and so community engagement approaches can improve prevention practices while recognising that the ownership and knowledge for such changes is generated by the local people themselves.
published_date 2026-02-02T05:32:33Z
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