NAFDAC denies report of 70 per cent fake medicines in Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has denounced a newspaper report that 70 per cent of medicines in Nigeria are fake.

A press statement by Moji Adeyeye, a professor and Director General of the agency on Friday, said that the report was published by Vanguard Newspaper.

Ms Adeyeye said that a study jointly carried out by NAFDAC, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) in 2005 revealed that fake medicines stood at 16 per cent.

She added that a survey conducted by NAFDAC in 2017 and 2018 on some widely used drugs showed that Nigerian medicines were 98 per cent wholesome.

She described the report as “categorically untrue and grossly inaccurate.’’

“NAFDAC wishes to inform members of the public, especially health care providers, policy makers and development partners to disregard an online publication at that 70 per cent of all drugs in Nigerian markets are fake.

“NAFDAC in collaboration with WHO, DFID and United States Pharmacopeia conducted series of studies on quality of medicines in Nigeria and the report runs contrary to what Vanguard reported.

“A study of Counterfeit and Substandard Medicines in Nigeria conducted by NAFDAC in collaboration with WHO and DFID in 2005 revealed that counterfeit medicines stood at 16.7 per cent in 2005.

“This was as against 40 per cent in 2001,’’ she said.

She added that subsequent tests carried out between 2010 and 2012 revealed that the situation was even better than in 2005.

– Premium Times