Linked with our presentation of Dora Nkem Akunyili – Nigeria.
NEWS: Thursday, May 11, 2006, NAFDAC makes bonfire of dangerous products, by Juliana Francis: It was yet, another victory for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as its surveillance team confiscated fake, substandard and unwholesome products, worth over N152 million. (Read this article on Daily Sun, Nigeria).
See more NAFDAC-news on this link.
NAFDAC is in Nigeria the National Administration for Food, Drug Admnistration and Control. Dr. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR) is their Director General, called also the Teflon Lady. According to her at the time she came into the establishment, NAFDAC was having some problems, « We went to work prayerfully and with God’s guidance we can say that today our humble efforts are being blessed. NAFDAC now has offices in the states and there is surveillance activity group on. I had to create state, zonal and specialised zonal offices for effective work ».
So far, several enlightenment campaigns have been mounted reagrding pure water, fake and adulterated drugs. Pure water production is one of the most important aspects of poverty alleviation in the country. It engages and employs many people. Stressing the importance of pure water, she said the Agency would educate the public on ways of preparing the water, expose them to the equipment required and explain the implication of water not properly produced and the processes involved in NAFDAC registration.
Apart from this, another important sector that enlightenment campaign is being mounted on by the Agency is for medicine vendors. In addition, she said, NAFDAC is holding dialogue with road transport owners and workers to use them to stop hawking of drugs in buses. She explained that it is more effective to convince the touts in motor parks that the drugs beaten by sun are either toxic or impotent.
The campaign which she hopes to map out for other stakeholders, involves reaching out to countries that are involved in drug faking to stop them from exporting such to Nigeria. She however, believes that the work would be easier if the Agency was to go back to the ports. She said she would like her Agency to work at entry points of goods in the country while using patriotic citizens to locate the secret warehouses of fakers in the country. The success already attained by the Agency, according to her, stems from the cooperation of drug marketers and the determination of NAFDAC staff. Furthermore, she is resolute that an alternative in the guise of a drug mart should be provided for better distribution and regulation. The drug mart, when built, she insisted, would be according to specification and more conducive for drug sale and regulation.
Eradicating fake drugs in the country is prominent on her list. Not to be detered, she explains that being complacent about people dying because of fake drug consumption is a greater sin than murder. Of the challenges, she noted, « I am working against the tide in a system where you are regulating people that don’t want to be regulated. « You are regulating people that are bent on doing the wrong thing. It is like you are fighting everybody. Everybody is almost an enemy. Everybody that comes to you says, madam what are you doing again ? Be very careful. Oh! the way you are going ». It hardly jolts her. « My coming here and not doing the work is greater than any sin in the ten commandments. I just leave it to God and put in the effort that is humanly possible. I refuse to be intimidated. My life is in the hand of God. They forget that so many people have died because of fake drugs even my own sister. If she had had the right insulin, she wouldn’t have died. (Read all about in this long article on thisdayonline.com).