By Bavoriat Clara
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has unveiled three major initiatives aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s healthcare system and safeguarding the well-being of its citizens, particularly women and children.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, described the event as a defining moment in the nation’s collective effort to advance public health and ensure the safety and quality of medical and nutritional products.
The three initiatives — the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative, the NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), and the National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027) — were launched to strengthen health systems, promote safe motherhood, and ensure the availability of quality medicines and nutrition interventions across the country.
According to Professor Adeyeye, the initiatives are interlinked pillars of NAFDAC’s vision to protect the most vulnerable members of society while promoting safe, effective, and quality-assured health products.
Through the Office of Women and Children’s Health, NAFDAC aims to promote rational medicine use, encourage breastfeeding, combat unsafe cosmetic and drug practices, and support local production of paediatric medicines and menstrual hygiene products. The initiative will work closely with relevant ministries, non-governmental organizations, and private sector partners to achieve these goals.
The MNCH+N Initiative, she added, is designed to tackle malnutrition and reduce maternal and child mortality rates by regulating life-saving nutrition commodities and enforcing breastfeeding-friendly policies. Partnerships with international bodies such as WHO, UNICEF, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) are also expected to enhance regulatory capacity and ensure long-term impact.
The National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products provides a comprehensive framework to safeguard the country against unsafe medicines through prevention, detection, and response mechanisms. The plan engages both national and global stakeholders in building a resilient supply chain and ensuring accountability within the healthcare system.
Professor Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to a future where “no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is harmed by falsified medical products.”
She called on stakeholders to continue supporting NAFDAC’s efforts to make access to safe medicines, proper nutrition, and quality healthcare a fundamental right for all Nigerians.
admin