Malaria drug counterfeiting drops from 19% to 3.6% -NAFDAC

THE National Agency for Food Drugs Administra­tion and Control (NAF­DAC) has disclosed that the counterfeiting of anti malaria drugs has reduced from 19.6 per cent to 3.6 per cent in Nigeria.

The fight against coun­terfeit drugs by the agen­cy in conjunction with other agencies yield­ed high premium lead­ing to the confiscation of counterfeit drugs worth N5 billion in Lagos re­cently.

The Director -General of the agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, represented by the Director in charge of Special Duties, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh dis­closed this during an en­lightenment campaign at the Malkohi IDPs camp in Yola .

Orhii remarked that the new trend was achieved following the deploy­ment of cutting-edge technology, adding that his organisation deemed it fit to take their campaigns to IDP camps in order to bring safety awareness to the inhabitants.

He said: “The concern of NAFDAC for the IDPs, made the organisation to also donate assorted drugs which included anti ma­laria and anti biotic.

He explained that an­other reason for their in­tervention was to ensure that food, drugs and other consumables being used in the camps were whole­some and also to ensure that the food is fortified with vitamin A while the salt is iodized.

Orhii said NAFDAC had forged a working re­lationship with NEMA to enhance the control and administration of drugs and food in the various camps across the nation, noting that NAFDAC is also partnering with the wife of the President as they are pursuing the same cause.