The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) has denounced a newspaper report that 70 percent of medicines
in Nigeria were fake.
A press statement by Prof. Moji Adeyeye, Director General of
the agency on Friday said that the false report was made online.
Adeyeye said that a study jointly carried out by NAFDAC, the
World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Department for International
Development (DFID) in 2005 revealed that fake medicines stood at 16 percent.
She added that a survey conducted by NAFDAC in 2017 and 2018
on some widely used drugs showed that Nigerian medicines were 98 percent
wholesome.
She described the report as “categorically untrue and
grossly inaccurate.’’
`NAFDAC wishes to inform members of the public, especially
health care providers, policy makers, and development partners to disregard an
online publication at https://www.vanguardngr.com that 70 percent of all drugs
in Nigerian markets are fake.
“NAFDAC in collaboration with WHO, DFID and United States
Pharmacopeia conducted series of studies on quality of medicines in Nigeria and
the report runs contrary to what Vanguard reported.
“A study of Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines in Nigeria
conducted by NAFDAC in collaboration with WHO and DFID in 2005 revealed that
counterfeit medicines stood at 16.7 percent in 2005.
“This was as against 40 percent in 2001,’’ she said.
She added that subsequent tests carried out between 2010 and
2012 revealed that the situation was even better than in 2005.
“The National Survey on Quality of medicines using Truscan® device was conducted by NAFDAC across 29 States including FCT, Abuja from
January 2010 to April 2012.
“The medicines involved in the survey included antibiotics,
antimalarials, and antidiabetics. A total of 5,790 samples of medicines were
tested.
“5,419 samples of medicines out of 5,790 (93.6 percent)
tested during the survey passed quality tests while 371 samples (6.4 percent)
failed.
“Another survey on the quality of medicines was conducted in
Lagos state in May 2012 using the Truscan® device.
“A total of 235 samples of medicines comprising
antimalarials, antibiotics, antidiabetics and anti-inflammatory agents were
tested,’’ she said
Adeyeye said that 226 samples of 235, equating 96.2 percent
passed quality test while nine samples equating 3.8 percent failed.
She said that in a further survey carried out in August,
2015, 96.4 percent of the samples of antimalarial medicines passed while 23.6
percent out of the samples failed.
She said that NAFDAC carried out further surveys between
2017 and 2018 which showed that Nigerian medicines were 98 percent wholesome.
She urged Nigerians to disregard the report.
“The report of series of studies conducted by NAFDAC with
relevant stakeholders established that the online publication in Vanguard has
no scientific basis, is untrue and grossly misleading and as such it should be
disregarded.
“One of the focus and priority areas of my administration is
reducing substandard and falsified drugs through an emphasis on local
manufacturing. Promotion of local manufacturing has been on my priority list.
“This is to reverse the trend of 30 percent locally
manufactured drug products toward 70 percent.
“Local manufacturing ensures drug security, reduces
unemployment and increases the contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to the
nation’s GDP,” she said.
The NAFDAC DG distanced the agency from any workshop
organsed by Christabel International Organisation, where the statements were
said to have been made.
“NAFDAC hereby states that the Agency was never a party to
any sensitisation workshop organised by Christabel International Organisation
at Onitsha.
“For the avoidance of doubt, NAFDAC is hereby unequivocally
refuting her participation or involvement in the said workshop.
“The agency hereby wishes to inform the general public that
the fight against fake drugs and other unwholesome NAFDAC regulated products is
something that the Agency considers as a daily routine activity,’’ she assured.
It was gathered that the contentious report was published
through an online media, under the headline, “70% of drugs in Nigerian markets
fake — NAFDAC, NDLEA, NOA.’’
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