The University of Costa Rica (UCR), through the Clodomiro Picado Institute (ICP), and the Costa Rican Red Cross signed a new agreement on Monday, September 8, 2025, that will expedite outpatient care for snakebite victims in rural areas and thus prevent deaths from these types of incidents. This is a milestone!
In Costa Rica, venomous snakebites are a latent threat, especially in rural communities where the distance and travel time to a medical center can mean the difference between life and death, or even leave serious physical consequences.
Until recently, people in hard-to-reach rural areas who were victims of snakebite had to travel hours to reach a health center to begin treatment. This delay, in many cases, jeopardized the patient’s recovery and increased the possibility of amputations or death.
In fact, the Costa Rican Red Cross reports that so far in 2025, nearly 46 people in critical condition due to snakebite have already been transferred. Today, that reality is changing.
The signing of the agreement between the UCR and the Red Cross represents an unprecedented hope for Costa Rica that will strengthen outpatient care in hard-to-reach areas of the country. With the partnership, Red Cross personnel will be able to immediately administer the first doses and then transfer the patient to a medical center.
Impact of collaboration
“The agreement is an example of the impact that collaboration between academia, health institutions, and communities can have when working toward a common goal: protecting life,” said Dr. Carlos Araya Leandro, rector of the University of Costa Rica.
For the Costa Rican Red Cross, the first-responder institution that directly cares for people affected by snakebites, this agreement will significantly increase victims’ chances of recovery through faster and more effective care.
“This agreement reaffirms the humanitarian commitment of the Costa Rican Red Cross to be present in the most remote areas of the country. Thanks to the joint work of the Red Cross with the Ministry of Health and the University of Costa Rica, in this specific case through the Clodomiro Picado Institute, we will strengthen pre-hospital care to provide a timely response to snakebite accidents and save lives in hard-to-reach communities, where immediate care can make a difference,” said Dyanne Marencon González, President of the Costa Rican Red Cross.
Signing of Agreement
Dr. Carlos Araya Leandro, rector of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), and Dyanne Marenco González, president of the Costa Rican Red Cross, officially signed a collaboration agreement. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Mariela Marín Mena, Vice Minister of Health, as a witness of honor. Photo by the Rector’s Office.
The UCR Commitment
The agreement provides for the UCR to donate 30 bottles of freeze-dried polyvalent antivenom—which does not require refrigeration—along with its respective solvent annually. This will provide the Red Cross with antivenom at strategic locations.
The UCR also commits to training Red Cross personnel who care for patients with snakebite envenomation and providing information to the most at-risk communities on how to prevent snakebites.
“With this agreement, we reinforce the mission of the Clodomiro Picado Institute: ensuring that anti-snake venom arrives on time and in the proper conditions to save the lives of the most vulnerable people,” said Yamileth Angulo Ugalde, director of the Clodomiro Picado Institute at the University of Cordoba (UCR).
An agreement with institutional support
The signing of the agreement reflects the officialization by the Ministry of Health of the protocol called “National Protocol for the Care of Snake Envenomation and the Management of Antivenom in the Outpatient Setting.”
This protocol was developed by the Technical Committee of the National System for the Care of Medical and Trauma Emergencies (SINAEMET). The development of this protocol seeks to establish and guarantee the early administration of antivenin in the outpatient setting, in order to significantly reduce the complications and mortality risks associated with snakebites.
This protocol will be applied to all patients with confirmed snakebite accidents in the country who are in a difficult-to-reach area. Its main phases include: scene security, primary and secondary evacuation, initial patient management, envenomation determination, vascular access, medical coordination for the administration of antivenom, and patient monitoring until transfer to a health center.
“In this way, we hope to reduce the risk of complications or deaths associated with snakebite accidents by expanding the health system’s response capacity for the benefit of the most at-risk populations,” the Ministry of Health stated in its official statement.
The official signing of the agreement was attended by Dr. Carlos Araya Leandro, rector of the UCR (University of Costa Rica), and Dyanne Marenco González, president of the Costa Rican Red Cross, in a ceremony attended by the Vice Minister of Health, Dr. Mariela Marín Mena, and the director of the ICP, Dr. Yamileth Angulo Ugalde.
The agreement will be valid for an initial three years, renewable for equal periods, and establishes that both institutions will review medical protocols annually to improve patient care.
