The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned that Nigeria may experience drug insecurity due to the recent coronavirus outbreak in China.
Director-General of NAFDAC Professor Mojisola Adeyeye disclosed this on Monday, February 17, 2020, during a media briefing in Abuja on the upcoming African Medicine Quality Forum (AMQF) scheduled for later in the month.
According to Adeyeye, up to 70 percent of Nigerian drugs are imported. “We import virtually everything from active, non-active ingredients and equipment,” she said, adding that the situation portends danger for Nigeria because it does not “manufacture anything here except water.”
The DG also drew similarities between Nigeria and India, which is also currently facing drug insecurity because the Asian nation buys most of its materials and active ingredients from China as well. “We have drug insecurity because of coronavirus,” Adeyeye said, reiterating Nigeria’s dire need of drug security.
Nigeria’s over-dependence on medicine importation presents itself as a major issue facing drug security in the country. This has led to poor production levels with only 30 percent of medicines locally produced in the country.
Other significant factors like lack of accessible raw materials, poor quality of some pharmaceuticals, lack of processing equipment and unfair government policies like the National Drug Policy 2005 need to be properly addressed and tackled before Nigeria can attain a state of drug security.
In addition, the government should deliberately invest in the production of local drugs by establishing laboratories that will serve the purpose of making medicines. Similarly, those laboratories should be properly equipped and provided with materials that will aid the production of drugs with efficient pharmaceuticals employed.
Meanwhile, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has said the sum total of $50 million would be required to create a conducive ecosystem that will enable the fight against coronavirus. WAHO believes that if personal protection equipment, laboratory supplies, communication and coordination strategies are available, West African countries will be prepared and able to respond to any form of coronavirus report in the region.
