By Ariel Horton ’21
Brandehoff was a key founder of Acelpius Snakebite Foundation (ASF), an international nonprofit organization led by snakebite medicine experts who are combining research, clinical medicine, public health, and educational initiatives in order to combat the toll of snakebite fatalities worldwide.
The West African country of Guinea has one of the world’s highest numbers of snakebite deaths, making it an important focus in the ASF’s efforts. This summer, Brandehoff volunteered his expertise at Guinea’s only snakebite clinic. While the clinic has limited resources, it has significantly reduced snakebite fatalities in the area. Since it opened 20 years ago, fatalities of those afflicted by snakebites has decreased from over 35% to about 1%. In other words, what used to be up to 200 deaths a year is now only about six or seven deaths—and Brandehoff aims to lower that number even more.
Brandehoff’s foundation has partnered with the research institute where the clinic is located (Institut de Recherche et de Biologie Appliquée de Guinée) to introduce a range of resources to the regional population. ASF helps provide medical supplies, medical education services within the institute, and public education campaigns about snakebites to both help prevent snakebites from occurring and encourage immediate medical intervention when they do.
Here in the states, Brandehoff works at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in Fresno as an emergency physician and medical toxicologist, and continues to study venomics for snakebite treatments. Read more about Brandehoff and the ASF’s efforts on the UCSF website.
Photo: Thomas Nicolon
