By Abbas Aminu Bamalli
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), has assured its readiness to work with the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC), to ensure that Nigeria meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target.
Mr. Vincent Ahonkhai, who is the senior global adviser, BMGF’s regulatory affairs disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when he visited the Director General of NAFDAC in his office, saying, this can only be achieved by ensuring access to affordable product of assured quality.
According to him, the aim was to improve the fragmented system of product registration in Africa by focusing on regions within the continent, especially East Africa and West Africa, while Nigeria is the main focus.
He added that “it is also to propose, harmonize and streamline the registration process for regulators and manufacturers, leading to increased and timely access to products.
Mr. Vincent further said the future vision and strategic actions of the foundation is to maximize focus on value added activities by all stakeholders, to maximize efficiency of WHO PQ program, including increased reliance on SRAs and NRAs.
The Senior Adviser added that the foundation, which was created with a focus on health, education, and libraries diagnostics regulatory strategy, is structured along four key components, which includes: to drive consensus on guidelines and standards for assessment of critical HIV and Malaria POC diagnostics, between key stakeholders, including WHO, regulatory authorities, procurers, manufacturers, and experts.
In his response, the Director-General of NAFDC, Dr. Paul Ohii commended the foundation for its readiness to assist the agency towards achieving its set objectives, and assured the agency’s support to work with the foundation to provide a quality product for Nigerians.
Ohii said the agency is partnering with media organizations to ensure full enlightenment of the public, especially at the rural levels, on drug counterfeit, adding that it has provided modern technics in their fight against drug counterfeit.
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