As Nigeria begins to witness increase in figure of new cases, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has identified misinformation as one of the key factors responsible for low uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in the country. The Executive Director and CEO of NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, speaking during the 41st Annual Scientific Conference of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), said the bulk of the country’s challenges is at community level where the majority of those misinformed live, thereby making people to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections.
Shuaib said that over 26 million people have been fully vaccinated, which represent 23.4 per cent of the eligible population. Shuaib, who was represented by the Southwest Zonal Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Adefunke Adesope, said COVID-19 crises provide the country with opportunities to improve routine immunisation and at the same time opening doors for more health professionals to be fully integrated in PHC service delivery. “Currently, our data shows that 26,127,761 eligible persons have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in Nigeria, having received second dose of vaccine. The number of fully vaccinated persons represents 23.4 per cent of the 111,176,503 eligible population targeted for full vaccination against COVID-19 in Nigeria.”
Speaking on the theme, “Never Waste a Crisis: Community Pharmacists Learning for Future Preparedness,” Shuaib tasked ACPN to mobilise its members to rapidly increase the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in the communities by leveraging their influence. “NPHCDA will continue to provide technical support and policy guidance to the association.”
The National Chairman of ACPN, Adewale Oladigbolu, said that with support from New Heights Pharmaceutical, they have produced documentation kits for community pharmacists. “The kits consisted of a prescription pad, a referral pad and booklet on the interpretation of laboratory parameters. These have been distributed to all community pharmacists across the country.”
Oladigbolu said that despite the challenges associated with the supply chain system for medicines distribution in Nigeria, the association started a supply chain platform that interconnects all pharmaceutical entities in Nigeria, “We now have a bespoke inventory control software for community pharmacists. We, therefore, implore the government to include pharmacists in anything that has to do with the health of the society.”
The National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Prof. Cyril Usifoh, also commended community pharmacists for being in the forefront of providing healthcare directly to patients during the COVID-19. “Not only have they played their traditional role of delivering medications to patients, but they also performed additional duties regarding patient education and triaging of patients to reduce the load on hospitals as well as screening for diseases and promoting clear treatment concepts regarding this disease.”
On his part, Gboluga Ikengboju, a pharmacist and member of the Federal House of Representatives, expressed the legislative readiness to support the association in performing its role towards a better society. “We are going to support community pharmacists to improve on healthcare delivery system and to be engage more in advance services. We are going to support you in promoting adequate training and technological support. We will push to see government commitment to 2015 Abuja arrangement of 15 per cent of budgetary allocation to healthcare system. We are also going to push for every community pharmacists to be paid for providing essential services through NHIS.”