By Uche Amunike
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has assured that it will embark on an intensive campaign against sub-standard products in the country.
This, they have avowed, is expedient because of the rate of highly unregulated products which are inherent problems and hazards to the health of consumers.
This was made known by Director-General, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye at a press briefing, during the flag off of the planned action, Wednesday in Abuja.
She was of the opinion that sub-standard products prevailed all over the states of the federation.
She decried that the stage it has reached is alarming and needed the prompt action of the agency.
About the campaigns, she said that they would be organized in phases because the agency will cover the entire 36 states of the federation with the available resources, adding that the first phase will be held in selected States from August to September 2021.
She harped on the need for citizens to be well informed about the hazardous effects of unwholesome food, falsified medical products, harmful cosmetics, poor water and other sub-standard products, explaining that a well sensitized, enlightened, informed and educated citizenry is the bedrock of effective regulation.
Hear her: ‘The key objective of this sensitization programme is to intensify and expand the scope of our informal and formal behaviour change especially at the grassroots.’
‘Communication strategies are implored in order to reach the vulnerable communities, dissemination of food and drug safety information is an important aspect of our regulatory work, It is common knowledge that Nigeria has a preponderant share of the global problem of falsified medical products and unwholesome food.’
‘The advent of Covid-19 Pandemic has aggravated the problem with the challenge posed by substandard and falsified Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). The Sensitization campaigns will therefore contribute significantly to the Federal Government’s concerted efforts to inform, sensitize, educate and alert the public about inherent dangers of intake and use of those spurious regulated products’
She continued: ‘It is our expectation that at the end of the Campaigns, the Participants and Target Audiences would become dependable Partners and Allies of NAFDAC and be in the forefront of sustaining the public awareness campaigns by disseminating the information and messages to the Grassroots. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the various communities take ownership of the care and management of their own health.’
‘It is important to note that this sensitization programme could not have been possible without the support and encouragement of the Distinguished Members of the Senate Committee on Health and Honourable Members of the House Committee on Healthcare Services. On this note I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator {Dr}Ibrahim Oloriegbe and his Counterpart in the House Committee Hon{Dr} Yusuf Tanko Sununu for their invaluable contributions and support for this Programme and other regulatory activities of the Agency.’
‘NAFDAC under my watch, will not leave any stone unturned in our concerted efforts to rid the country of the menace of falsified medical products, unwholesome food, harmful cosmetics, poorly packaged water and other sub-standard regulated products.
She also disclosed that the Mass Media, Vibrant Youth Organizations and Civil Societies in the pilot states will be in the forefront of the Sensitization campaigns
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