Some 2 million people worldwide are poisoned by snakebites every year, resulting in the deaths of around 130,000 of them. Yet these deaths are avoidable through preventive measures, first aid and public policies to make antivenom available. The World Health Organization has labelled snakebite a neglected tropical disease and believes the subject should be given more attention. Our correspondent reports from Kenya, where war has been declared on snakebites.