More than 3,000 cases of adverse reactions to HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria drugs have been recorded in the past nine months in Nigeria, a report has said.
Mr Dennis Mordi, the Spokesperson of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mordi said that the report was carried out by doctors, nurses and pharmacists trained by the institute and NAFDAC on reportage of drug reactions around the country.
At the graduation ceremony of the 45 trainees, Mordi quoted Yohanna Avong, IHVN Head of Pharmacy, as saying that the side effects of drugs are very dangerous as they could harm an individual.
Avong said that the number of healthcare workers reporting on drug reactions were not many hence the need to train more workers to increase the rate of reporting.
“We got a grant from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to train more people and deploy them to treatment centres to increase the rate of reporting.
“NAFDAC works with the WHO and all the reports they receive are transferred to them. They use this information to regulate drug use globally.
“The plan is that when the participants go back, they will continue to integrate the work we have taught them which is reporting of adverse reactions in all treatment centres in Nigeria,” Avong said.
Mrs Yetunde Oni, Acting Director-General, NAFDAC, commended the diligence of the trainees and urged them to sustain what they have learnt.
Oni said that the training which was the first of its kind, equipped participants from across the country with practical skills for detecting, reporting and monitoring adverse drugs reactions to HIV, TB and malaria.
He said that participants submitted at least 30 Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) on adverse drug reactions monthly to NAFDAC after a one week intensive workshop.
(Source: NAN)