| National Agency For Food And Drug Administration And Control |
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a Nigerian agency that is charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and locally produced prepackaged water. HISTORY OF NAFDAC NAFDAC was established in response to the resolution of the World Health Assembly in 1988.NAFDAC: Battle against fake drugs. (March 4, 2003) Retrieved on March 25, 2006 from http://www.nigeriafirst.org/printer_315.shtml Countries were advised to commence a programme to help prevent and detect fake pharmaceutical products in order to fight the hazard that fake drugs posed to global health. Concerned, about the health of the nation and the issue of fake products, NAFDAC was established as a “parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health”.About NAFDAC. (2005). Retrieved on March 27, 2006, from http://www.nafdacnigeria.org/about.html NAFDAC came into being on January 1, 1994 under the supporting legislation (Decree No 15 of 1993). In addition, “In December 1992, the maiden governing council of NAFDAC was inaugurated under the chairmanship of Ambassador Tanimu Saulawa .”.NAFDAC replaced an earlier body, the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration and Control of the Federal Ministry of Health whose performance were limited by factors including legislation that were inadequate to discourage the production and distribution of fake drugs”. However, NAFDAC materialized due to several events. Things that led to its establishment Through the past two decades in Nigeria , the problem of fake, counterfeit, and adulterated drugs has been a very big issue. In addition, fake drugs proved a major factor in contributing to high death rates. “over 150 children died in 1989 as a result of a formulation error in a drug.” Such problems led to the establishment of NAFDAC, which would help, create a fake-drug-free environment. With this, there would be secure, effective, inexpensive, and good quality medicines. This incident of fake drugs was so chaotic that “neighboring countries such as Ghana and Sierra Leone officially banned the sale of drugs made in Nigeria.” .The issue of fake drugs did not just stop there, but it went to the extent that “drugs were hawked even in commercial buses.” All these problems affected Nigeria as a whole. On the one hand, NAFDAC has a certain structure that controls it. STRUCTURE OF NAFDAC “(NAFDAC) is headed by a chairman who presides over a governing council appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Minister of Health.” Furthermore, the council has other members and they are listed below: #The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health #The Director-General of NAFDAC #Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) #The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) #The chairman of the Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN) #The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) #A representative each of the Pharmaceutical Group and the Food and Beverages Group of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria. Three people from the general public are also represented on the council. The agency is divided into eight directorates with the last two newly added – #Registration and regulatory affairs #Inspectorate #Laboratory services #Narcotics (and controlled Substances) #Planning, Research and Statistics #Finance and administration #Enforcement #Ports Inspection Several units make up NAFDAC. They are:
It is charged with the responsibility of offering legal advice on “law arising from Employee-Employer relationship and is the custodian of legal documents and all agreements relating to the Agency."
This unit is headed by the Director-General’s office. Its main function is to inform, sensitize, enlighten and create awareness concerning the role of the Agency. The agency is divided into eight directorates with the last two newly added –
Provides a means of measuring the effectiveness of the system of internal control and accounting. Carrying out special investigations.). There are various functions that guide the NAFDAC agency. Directorates #Registration and regulatory affairs #Inspectorate #Laboratory services #Narcotics and Controlled Substances #Planning research and statistics #Finance and administration FUNCTIONS OF NAFDAC NAFDAC has various main functions. According to the requirements of the enabling decree, (Decree No. 15 of 1993) the Agency was authorized to:
NAFDAC envisions that by making these functions known, that its actions will be apparent “in all sectors that deal with food, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals to the extent of instilling extra need for caution and compulsion to respect and obey existing regulations both for healthy, living and knowledge of certain sanctions or default.".Despite the establishment of NAFDAC, the concept of fake drugs did not still end. NEW AMENDMENTS SINCE 2001 Unable to stand the bad state of fake drugs in the country, Olusegun_Obasanjo “President Olusegun Obasanjo Administration dissolved the management of NAFDAC in August 2000. In April 2001, a new management, with Dr. Dora Akunyili as Director-General, was in augurated.”Since then, the agency has been re-organized by the new management.NAFDAC has succeeded in recent past due to three new policies pronounced by the Federal Government:
Ever since Dr. Dora took over this vital health segment, she has fought non-stop to ensure that the issue of fake medications and unclean food items is wiped out completely.Nigeria: A meeting of the minds. (2006). Retrieved on April 10, 2006, from http://www.kwenu.com/achebe/2006/22dora_akunyili.htm.Before Dr. Dora assumed duty, Nigeria became a place where fake and substandard foods and drugs were being dumped without any form of regulations. This gave way to unprincipled individuals. With the emergence of Dr. Akunyili, came “a new culture of excellence and honesty within NAFDAC and the entire establishment of public regulation, scrutiny, and investigation.” There has been improvement in various sectors such as, Improvement in the Health and Pharmaceutical Sub-Sector, Infrastructure, and Improvement in health indices. She became angry due to the fact that “so many of her countrymen and women (were) fighting killer diseases like malaria and tuberculosis with little more than sugar syrup and chalk tablets, cynically packaged to look like the real thing.”One woman's war with fake drugs. (2005). Retrieved on April 10, 2006, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/this_world/4656627.stm. Although Dr. Dora has been in grave danger, she still kept her head up in order to combat the issue of fake drugs. “She was dancing with danger. And she was very visibly, collecting awards all over the world and appearing with whomever has a smile to share."Ené. M. O. (2003). Dora Akunyili and the dungeon of danger. Retrieved on March 25, 2006 from KWENU Special: http://www.kwenu.com/moesmemo/moe2004/dora_danger.htm =Awards Recieved Some of the awards Dr. Dora received are:
=Achievements NAFDAC has several achievements over the years.
STAKEHOLDERS NAFDAC (ensures it) maintains very close contact with a number of national and international organizations whose activities relate to the functions of NAFDAC. Such Organizations include:
In order to keep in touch with the international scene for information, training, co-operation assistance, aid and for financing of specific projects especially in these days of global and national austerity, the agency maintains close relationship with a number of International Agencies some of which include:
Stakeholders. (2005). Retrieved on April 10, 2006 from http://www.nafdacnigeria.org/stakeholders.html REFERENCES |
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