Health
NAFDAC urges rational use of medicines, stronger pharmacovigilance for patients safety
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 Yobe State Government has approved the enrolment of state and local government retirees into the Social Equity Programme of its health insurance scheme.
The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA), Babagana Tijjani, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Damaturu.
Mr Tijjani said the approval was granted by Governor Mai Mala Buni following a recommendation from the agency.
He said the initiative aims to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending among pensioners and improve access to comprehensive, quality healthcare services at YSCHMA-accredited health facilities.
According to him, the approval underscores the state government’s commitment to improving the welfare of retirees by ensuring they continue to access quality healthcare after retirement.
“This approval is another demonstration of the governor’s commitment to protecting the health and well-being of residents of the state,” he said.
“By bringing retirees under the social equity programme, the government is ensuring that senior citizens can access quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship.”
The executive secretary further said that the inclusion of retirees in the scheme aligned with the administration’s healthcare reform agenda and the state’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.
He also described the development as a significant step in expanding access to healthcare and strengthening social protection.
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Mr Tijjani commended the governor for approving the initiative and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to its effective implementation.
He said the YSCHMA would work closely with pension unions, relevant government institutions and healthcare providers to ensure a transparent enrolment process and seamless access to healthcare services for eligible beneficiaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the YSCHMA was established under Yobe State Law No. 7 of 2019 to implement the state’s contributory healthcare scheme and promote equitable, affordable and qualitative healthcare services for residents.
The federal government has launched the National Guidelines for Public Procurement of Food and Related Services.
The framework introduces nutrition standards for food purchased with public funds as part of efforts to reduce unhealthy diets and curb the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
The guidelines, unveiled on Monday in Abuja at an event themed “Public Procurement of Food: Promoting a Culture of National Wellness Through the Food Value Chain,” are expected to influence food served in public institutions, including schools, hospitals, correctional centres and military establishments, by setting evidence-based standards on nutrition, food safety and quality.
Delivering his keynote address at the launch, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said the initiative marks a shift from viewing public procurement as a routine administrative process to using it as a strategic tool to improve public health and national development.
“When the government demands healthier, safer and more nutritious food, it creates incentives for the entire food system to innovate, improve quality and align with higher public health standards,” he said.
Why it matters
Mr Salako said the government remains the country’s largest institutional purchaser of food, meaning procurement decisions have the potential to influence food production, consumer behaviour and nutrition standards across the food value chain.
According to him, the guidelines establish limits on sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats in foods procured by public institutions while encouraging balanced and nutritious diets.
He said the document complements existing national policies, including the National Guideline for Sodium Reduction, the Trans Fat Regulation and the 2023 National Policy on Food Safety and Quality.
Rising burden of unhealthy diets
Mr Salako noted that unhealthy diets contribute to about 7.2 million deaths globally every year, driven largely by excessive consumption of salt, sugar and unhealthy fats as well as inadequate intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
He revealed that the average Nigerian adult consumes between 3.9 grammes and 4.9 grammes of sodium daily, almost double the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended limit of 2 grammes.
Mr Salako added that increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has contributed to rising rates of obesity and diabetes, prompting the introduction of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax, while industrial trans fats have also been restricted under Nigeria’s Trans Fatty Acid Regulation.
“These measures are designed to control dietary patterns that fuel the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, placing enormous pressure on health systems, national economies and household incomes,” he said.
Child malnutrition remains a concern
Mr Salako also highlighted the country’s persistent nutrition challenges, noting that malnutrition remains a direct or underlying cause of nearly half of the deaths among children under five years.
He said the Nigeria Mini Demographic and Health Survey found that about four in every 10 Nigerian children under five are stunted, while nearly two million children suffer severe acute malnutrition annually.
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“These are not merely health statistics. They represent profound human capital challenges with significant implications for educational attainment, labour productivity, household prosperity, national competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.”
Implementation key
Mr Salako stressed that the success of the guidelines would depend on effective implementation rather than their launch.
He urged procurement and accounting officers across government institutions to ensure compliance, noting that procurement decisions influence health outcomes, productivity and public confidence in government.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would continue to promote disease prevention through healthier public policies as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
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