CALABAR — NATIONAL Surveillance Officer of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Alozie Ananaba Saturday in Calabar accused greedy importers for the proliferation of substandard drugs in the Nigerian market. He said at a lecture he delivered at a symposium organized by the Brothers Across Nigeria (BAN), a Non-Governmental Organisation, that those perpetuating the act were infringing on the rights of Nigerians to good living.
Ananaba lamented that many Nigerians had been sent to their early graves because of others' greed, noting that it was in the character of the importers to connive with the manufacturers in foreigncountries to produce fake and adulterated drugs for the Nigerian market at very cheap prices."If you have ever bought a fake drug from a pharmacy, make noise about it. Inform people so that the actors could be prosecuted,” he enjoined participants at the workshop.
He added that, “the rise in malaria-related deaths in this country is directly linked to this problem with studies confirming that a good proportion of both locally-made and imported anti-malarial drugs fall far short of the expected dosage formulations required for the treatment of the condition.”
The officer praised NAFDAC for its efforts at checking the trend and underscored the need for everybody to join in the campaign against fake and adulterated drugs. President of the organization, Mr Patrick Etim said in his remarks that those selling the products were committing a criminal offence and should be exposed by the victims.
He lamented that Nigerians were too docile even when it had to do with issues affecting their health. He said BAN was established to support NAFDAC in the fight against fake drugs and to also promote unity and brotherliness in the country. Etim had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Nta Elijah Henshaw VI, where he sought the support of the royal father in their campaign against social vices in the society.
He used the opportunity to call on traditional rulers in the country to call their respective governors to order and ensure that the local government system was not destroyed by them through the withholding of their statutory funds or even tampering with same by the governors.
