The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has emphasised the need for the rational use of medicines and strengthened pharmacovigilance systems to enhance patients safety.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known at a sensitisation programme organised for community stakeholders in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The programme, themed “Rational Use of Medicines: Strengthening Pharmacovigilance for Patient Safety Public Health,” was organised by NAFDAC in partnership with the Immunisation Plus and Malaria by Accelerating Coverage and Transmission (IMPACT).

Mrs Adeyeye, represented by Uchenna Elemuwa, NAFDAC Director of Pharmacovigilance, said the programme was critical in promoting and protecting public health.

She noted that the rational use of medicines remained a fundamental pillar of effective healthcare delivery while warning that inappropriate use of medications could result in serious health consequences.

“Rational use of medicine is when a patient uses a medication appropriately in line with their clinical needs, in the correct doses, for an adequate duration, and at the lowest possible cost to both the patient and the community,” she said.

“Self-medication, misuse of antibiotics, polypharmacy, incorrect dosing, failure to adhere to prescribed treatments, use of counterfeit medicines and sharing medicines among family members pose dangers to public health.

“Rational use of medication is critical and that is why we are strongly against unhealthy practices that contribute significantly to treatment failure, adverse drug reactions, prolonged illness, and preventable deaths,” she said.

Antimicrobial resistance

Mrs Adeyeye added that the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which was one of the greatest threats to global health, emanated from the misuse and overuse of antibiotics.

According to her, pharmacovigilance plays a critical role in addressing these challenges through the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects and other medicine-related problems.

“No medicine is completely free from side effects,” Mrs Adeyeye said, adding that effective pharmacovigilance systems enabled healthcare professionals and patients to identify harmful reactions early and report them for appropriate regulatory actions.

She said the agency had continued to strengthen post-marketing surveillance, safety monitoring systems, adverse drug reaction reporting mechanisms, risk communication strategies and public sensitisation among others.

Mrs Adeyeye urged the participants, healthcare professionals and members of the public to actively report adverse drug reactions, stressing that “a single adverse drug reaction report can save thousands of lives.”

The NAFDAC boss also called for more collaborative effort to strengthen rational medicine use and pharmacovigilance through continuous education for healthcare workers, public awareness against self-medication and antibiotic misuse among others.

Adverse drug reaction

Adekunle Oreagba, a Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, College of Medicine University of Lagos, emphasised the need for Nigerians to be more aware of adverse drug reaction (ADR).

Mr Oreagba, who is the South-West Coordinator of ADR in the country, spoke on the “Introduction to ADR and Pharmacovigilance, What Every Community Members Should Know”.

He explained that adverse drug reactions were harmful effects that occurred after taking medicines correctly and as prescribed.

The coordinator noted that many people experience unusual symptoms after using medications but often failed to report them, making it difficult for health authorities and regulatory agency to monitor medicine safety.

He added that pharmacovigilance was crucial in understanding, and preventing adverse effects of prescribed medicine, hence the need for people to report any unusual reaction from the use of prescribed drug to health professionals.

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“Reporting adverse drug reactions is essential for protecting public health,” he said.

“The information provided by patients and healthcare professionals helps regulatory authorities to identify medicines with potential safety concerns.

“If adverse drug reactions are not reported, health authorities cannot accurately determine their frequency or impact within the community.”

Mr Oreagba identified the use of multiple medications at once, known as Polypharmacy, as one of the major risk factors of ADR in humans.

He also added that children and older adults were also at risks of ADR because of their vulnerability. He said individuals with kidney and liver health issues are also at risk.

“Little children process medicines differently because their organs are still developing, while older adults, with multiple health conditions, may be taking several medications that increase their susceptibility to adverse reactions,” he said.

The professor advised members of the public to seek medical attention and report symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, skin rashes, stomach pain, or other unusual discomforts that develop after medication use.

The Chairman of Mushin LGA, Tunbosun Aruwe, commended NAFDAC for educating stakeholders on the various critical health issues that affected the common man.

(NAN)

The federal government and the Global Fund on Tuesday inaugurated the expanded Abuja Premier Medical Warehouse (APMW) to strengthen the storage and distribution of health commodities nationwide.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, described the facility as a critical national asset that would improve commodity security and support the delivery of healthcare services.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom, Mr Pate said the project aligns with ongoing reforms aimed at expanding storage capacity and improving the distribution of essential medicines.

“The significance of this project cannot be overstated, as it represents a leap forward in ensuring that public health products, vaccines and medical supplies maintain integrity,” he said.

He said the inauguration is to showcase achievements recorded through the partnership between the federal government and the Global Fund while reinforcing commitments to supply chain reforms.

Mr Pate assured the Global Fund that the federal government would provide the resources required to maintain the facility and its assets.

He noted that delays in the supply of health commodities could negatively affect service delivery, underscoring the importance of adequate storage infrastructure.

The minister commended development partners, including UNICEF and the Gates Foundation, for their continued support of Nigeria’s health sector.

“To the Global Fund, the support goes beyond infrastructure. It represents a commitment to a shared vision of equity, access and excellence in healthcare,” he said.

Mr Pate also urged officials responsible for managing the facility to ensure its sustainability through diligence, accountability and effective utilisation.

“Today’s commission is a reminder that with determination, partnership and innovation, we can overcome challenges and build a robust health system capable of delivering quality and affordable healthcare for all,” he said.

Successful collaboration

In her opening remarks, Ms Kachollom described the commissioning as a testament to successful collaboration among government, development partners and stakeholders.

Represented by the Director, Food and Drugs Services, Adeola Olufowolabi-Yusuf, she said the project demonstrated what could be achieved through collective commitment to improving citizens’ health and wellbeing.

“This moment is a testament to what can be achieved when government, development partners and stakeholders unite in the shared mission of improving the health and well-being of our citizens,” she said.

Ms Kachollom described the expansion of the warehouse as a game-changer for Nigeria’s healthcare system.

She expressed appreciation to the Global Fund for supporting the project and acknowledged UNICEF, the warehouse contractor and Land Designs Ltd. for their contributions to its successful completion.

Also speaking, Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said strong supply chains depended not only on infrastructure but also on people, systems and governance.

“It is not just about a building or available infrastructure. You need trained and committed people, good management and governance, technology and systems,” he said.

Mr Sands said the warehouse would provide a critical foundation for a stronger and more efficient supply chain capable of delivering essential health commodities when needed.

In his goodwill message, Charles Lolika, Deputy Representative, Operations, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said the expanded warehouse and 22 state medical warehouses would improve storage capacity, inventory management, commodity security and distribution efficiency.

According to him, the facilities are expected to benefit an estimated 149 million people across 21 states, including about 68 million children.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to The Global Fund for its generous funding support, which made this critical investment in health infrastructure possible,” he said.

Mr Lolika added that the partnership between UNICEF and the Global Fund was also supporting the upgrade of more than 150 primary healthcare centres across the country.

He said the initiative demonstrated the value of coordinated efforts among government, funding partners, implementing agencies and technical service providers.

The World Health Organisation Representative in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, described the warehouse as a foundational investment for the country’s health system.

“When we think about the warehouse, this is a foundational element and building block for a health system, and it is definitely not to serve only three diseases,” he said.

Mr Ursu said the project reflected years of consistent implementation and commitment by stakeholders involved in its execution.

He commended UNICEF for successfully navigating the challenges associated with major infrastructural projects and delivering the facility.

Mr Ursu said stakeholders must sustain the momentum generated by the project to achieve measurable improvements in health outcomes.

Also speaking, Nkata Chuku, Deputy Director, Health Systems Strengthening, Gates Foundation Nigeria, said commodity security remained central to reducing deaths among women and children and combating infectious diseases.

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Mr Chuku said the investment aligned with the foundation’s efforts to strengthen health systems and improve last-mile delivery of health commodities.

He expressed optimism that the investment would improve the availability of critical commodities in health facilities across Nigeria and strengthen supply chain visibility nationwide.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the warehouse serves as a central hub for storing and distributing essential medicines, vaccines and other public health commodities.

Its expansion is expected to boost national storage capacity, improve inventory management and strengthen the distribution of life-saving supplies nationwide as part of efforts to upgrade 22 warehouses across 21 states.