NAFDAC partners NHIA on access to affordable, quality medicines

On Oct 13, 2023

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is partnering with the National Health Insurance Authority to ensure sustainable access to affordable and acceptable quality medicines for Nigerians. The Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye made this known at a joint press conference with the Director General of NHIA, Professor Mohammed Sambo in Abuja on Thursday.

The NAFDAC noted that under the NHIA Medicine Supply Initiative, 33 drugs would be branded with NHIA inscription and NAFDAC, through the Directorate of Registration.

She also said the Regulatory Affairs will ensure that appropriate and adequate labelling of the medicines is done in line with the agency’s labelling requirements and in accordance with NHIA guidelines.

She stated that the branding of NHIA medicines and other health products was introduced as a way to help eradicate out-of-stock syndrome, as well as ensure the quality of its medicines.

Adeyeye noted that NHIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pharmaceutical Companies and Drugs Management Organisations for the production of 33 different drugs to address the perennial problem of out-of-stock syndrome in the nation’s health facilities.

Under the initiative, 12 Pharmaceutical companies will be branding 33 products for the health insurance ecosystem in the first phase.

She disclosed that NHIA had already chosen seven states – Delta, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Niger, Osun and Sokoto states, and the Federal Capital Territory for the pilot phase of this initiative.

Adeyeye also said the categories of drugs involved will start from simple to complex, which will be used to address prevailing health conditions in Nigeria, such as malaria, upper respiratory tract infections, childhood illnesses and drugs being used by pregnant women. As mentioned earlier, every drug to be manufactured will be certified and approved by NAFDAC, in terms of quality, safety and efficacy.

“The Executive Order 3 on support for local content in public procurement by the Federal government requires that All MDAs shall grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers in their procurement of goods and services. It was based on this collaboration with NAFDAC and in line with EO3, that NHIA worked with Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturers whose manufacturing facilities have been approved by NAFDAC as meeting Good Manufacturing Practice requirements for the procurement of needed medicines. These manufacturing companies have also had their products registered by NAFDAC. This means that all the attributes of quality, safety and efficacy pertaining to these products have been duly assured by NAFDAC,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of NHIA, Sambo said that the branding of medicines and other health products aims to facilitate the supply of affordable, acceptable, accessible, available, and quality medicines and other health products.

He explained that the initiative is meant to enhance the production of high-quality medicines to inspire users’ confidence and also help to reduce the cost of medicines, especially intravenous fluids, which will reduce by as much as 50 per cent of the current market price based on NHIA negotiations with the manufacturers without compromising standards and quality.

PUNCH/Wumi