We’ll continue to prioritise safety of Nigerians, says NAFDAC DG

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Nigerians consume wholesome and safe products.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday in Abuja.

She said that the agency has introduced various technological initiatives toward ensuring a better deal for the citizens.

“The agency uses TrueScan, which is a hand-held device used for on-the-spot detection of counterfeit medicines.

“The device allows regulators and law enforcement agents to conduct field-based screening of pharmaceutical samples to quickly and accurately identify counterfeits,” Adeyeye said.

The NAFDAC boss said that there was the need for Nigerians to appreciate the efforts of the agency towards improving on food and drug safety.

“Following my appointment as the Director- General, I was informed of the need to have a Strategic Plan that will reflect my vision and the Federal Ministry of Health’s 2nd National Strategic Health Development Plan.

“Thus, the plan development process involved identification of new areas of focus and the realignment of our priorities in line with the present Management’s direction and the FMoH Strategic Plan in order to make us work smarter in the same direction and deliver on our mandate,” she said.

Adeyeye said that the agency has taken measures for the tracing and distribution of drugs in the country through a global system that allows screening of barcode and post market surveillance (PMS) of products.

Our correspondent reports that PMS refers to the process of monitoring the safety of drugs once they reach the market after the successful completion of clinical trials.

The primary purpose for the conduct of PMS is to identify previously unrecognized adverse effects as well as positive effects.

Adeyeye said that farmers were also being sensitised on the use of appropriate quantities of pesticide on their products and likewise livestock farmers on antibiotics use.

She said that the effect of inappropriate use of both pesticide and antibiotics were serious on the health of consumers and the overall status of heath of citizens.

The NAFDAC boss added that such uncontrolled use of antibiotics was the cause of outbreaks of drug resistant diseases.

“Arbitrary use of antibiotics in animals may raise the risk of transmitting drug-resistant bacteria to humans either by direct infection or by transferring “resistance genes from agriculture into human pathogens,” she said.

Adeyeye said that the agency was also working assiduously on ensuring quality drugs are made available through its post-market monitoring.

She said that stakeholders in the food and pharmaceutical industries had responded positively to its efforts at sanitising the industry.