It is good that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has rightly debunked recent social media reports on the circulation of ‘killer’ anti-malaria drugs in the country. Prior to this disclaimer, the social media had been awash with the “news” that about 22 anti-malaria drugs banned by the European Union (EU) were circulating in the country.
But, at a news conference in Lagos to douse the tension caused by the misleading reports, the Acting Director-General of the agency, Dr. Yetunde Oni, said the reports on the ‘kidney-killer’ malaria drugs were false. Stressing the non-existence of such harmful drugs in the country, she explained that the rumoured banned drugs are oral monotherapies that contain single Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). These include Artesunate, as contained in Arinate tablets; Amodiaquine, contained in Camoquine; Dihydroartemisinin, contained in Alaxin tablets; and Pyrimethamine, in Daraprim tablets, which are not recommended for malaria. However, the agency assured Nigerians of its commitment to their wellbeing. It also enjoined Nigerians to continue to use the recommended anti-malaria medicine, Artemisin Combination Therapies (ACTs), for malaria treatment in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Anti-malarial Policy.
We commend NAFDAC for this intervention and applaud the Senate whose recent criticism of NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for not doing enough in the war against influx of fake and substandard drugs in the country might have prompted NAFDAC’s reaction. While the denial of the circulation of dangerous anti-malaria drugs in the country is welcome, we urge NAFDAC to enlighten the public on how to identify harmful malaria drugs. The agency ought to ensure that banned drugs are not allowed to enter and circulate in the country. We say this bearing in mind that some unscrupulous Nigerians can do anything to make money, including importing dangerous anti-malaria drugs.
The speculation that drugs banned in other countries at times come into Nigeria should also worry the agency. These are issues that NAFDAC should be seriously concerned with. The agency should go back to the basics and pursue with vigour the war against fake drugs and sub-standard drug products in Nigeria.
The war is not yet over. This is the time it should clamp down on drug hawkers, peddlers and illegal drug stores in the country. It is vital that NAFDAC leverages on earlier successes recorded in the use of the anti-counterfeiting technology, the Scratch and Text, to monitor fake drugs.
We, therefore, welcome NAFDAC’s decision to deploy software on phones to check the status of any of its regulated products. It should do so without further delay to reassure the people and check the influx of fake products in the country. We also call on the agency to increase its pharmaco-vigilance to check unwholesome drugs in Nigeria.
We strongly believe that close monitoring is important in ridding the country of banned drugs. NAFDAC should increase its presence at all our air, land and sea borders. There is also the urgent need to emphasise pre-shipment and post-shipment inspection of all drugs imported into the country.
Government must create enabling environment for drug manufacturing companies to thrive in the country. The over-dependence on imported drugs for most of our drug needs is the major reason fake and sub-standard medicines find their way into Nigeria. All of these will stop if NAFDAC increases the tempo of its war against fake drugs in the country.