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Tag: NAFDAC

  • INVESTIGATION: Poison on parade (1)

    INVESTIGATION: Poison on parade (1)

    • Lagosians risk death by instalments as laboratory tests reveal poisonous contents paraded as pure water

    In this first of a two-part series, HANNAH OJO reports the result of the first 15 laboratory-tested sachet water samples randomly selected in the five divisions of Lagos. From the presence of pathogenic bacteria to coliform, high microbial levels, acidity and objectionable odour, the hygiene and safety status of many of the brands of ‘pure water’ consumed by the majority of Lagosians are questionable.

    Lagosians may be killing themselves in instalment through the sachet water they drink, an investigation by The Nation has revealed. For three months, 30 sachet water brands popularly known as ‘pure water’ were randomly selected in the five divisions of Lagos. A laboratory test contracted to the University of Lagos Consult Limited examined the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of each sample, which were coded to conceal their brand names. A registered public analyst and chartered chemist from the University of Lagos’s chemistry department issued an analyst’s certificate on each sample, in accordance with the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN). The test ran from the month of May to August.

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    Read also: This is Lagos…City of aquatic splendour, dry taps

    Out of the first batch of 15 sachet water samples analysed, only six met the recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) standard on potable water. The other nine showed a high level of contaminants ranging from the presence of pathogenic bacteria and faecal coliform to high microbial levels, objectionable odour and low pH (acidity), which falls short of the minimum WHO pH parameter of 6.50.

    The names of the tested sachet water are Maja Water, Makus Water, Unilag Water, Haars Premium Water, Skord Water, Le Harmonious Water, David’s Key, Fizco Water, Dis Day Water, Clock Water, Austin Water, Vic Water, Ray Queen Water,  Troven Water and Vida water.

    Interpreting the health implications of the contaminants found in the tested water samples, a professor of Chemical Pathology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof Oluwole Adedeji, stated that low pH in water represents acidity.

    “pH is the concentration of hydrogen iron which represents acidity. The neutral pH is seven. Anything below seven is acidic. Anything above seven is basic and denotes alkalinity,” he said.

    The consultant also described odour as a product of metabolism which shows some form of decay with grave implications for the human body if ingested through contaminated water.

    Read also: INVESTIGATION: Poison on parade (2)

    Asked about the health implications of coliforms and other forms of pathogenic bacteria, he offered that the coliform count in potable water should not go beyond a certain percentage.

    “Our intestines have what is called the resident coliform. But when immunity is reduced, they become a problem. Adding more from outside means exposing the body to higher risks of toxic effects, especially when a person is stressed,” he said.

    At risk of diseases and terminal illnesses

    A wheelbarrow pusher, hawking bags of sachet water in Lagos

    Beyond water borne diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea, cholera and hepatitis, drinking contaminated packaged water can also expose the body to carcinogenic agents, The Nation learnt. This happens when the polythene bag used to package the water is of low quality whilst being exposed to sunlight or stored in an unwholesome condition.

    Findings revealed that the drive for-profit often makes many sachet water manufacturers patronise low-quality polyethene bags, which causes dissolution of chemical into the water.

    “Most of these bags have pores. They have holes which may not be visible to the human eye, which allow some elements in the environment to diffuse gradually into the water. The chemicals can be very carcinogenic,” Prof Adedeji intoned as he connects poorly packaged sachet water with cancer and other terminal illnesses associated with the lungs, liver and the heart.

    With the acute water shortage in Lagos owing to the inability of the state’s Water Corporation to supply potable water to the majority of residents, there is a high reliance on sachet water as a means of potable drinking water by over 70 per cent of the citizens.

    In a twitter poll conducted by the reporter on potable drinking water source for Lagosians, 44 per cent of respondents chose sachet water as their source of potable water while 39 per cent chose boreholes. Another 12 per cent voted bottled water and the lowest vote stands at 6 per cent, representing those who source potable water from the Lagos State Water Corporation.

    Majority of sachet water producers interviewed by The Nation source their water from boreholes. Although there are strident measures laid down by regulatory agencies such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission; enforcement to these standards is not often adhered to, findings have revealed.

    Kabir Ahmed, the chairman of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, an agency responsible for regulating water supply and wastewater management, told The Nation that indiscriminate sinking of boreholes and wells have negatively impacted on the quality of ground water in Lagos.

    Ahmed said: “Underground, we have four aquifers of water. As we speak, the topmost aquifer has been polluted by human activities. As recent as 25 years ago, we used to fetch water from shallow wells in Lagos to drink. Now, water from that depth of 0-12m is not drinkable because it is practically impure.”

    Lamenting the fact that many borehole drillers in the state use sub standard equipment which drips oil into the underground water, Ahmed further stated that sinking of soak-away and pit latrines close to a water source is responsible for the presence of coliform in some water sources across the state.

     

    Cheap death channel

    At N10 per sachet and N150 for 20 pieces, ‘pure’ water in Lagos appears a cheaper alternative to bottled water. A 75 cl bottled water sells between N50 and N100, depending on the brand. However, low costing sachet water might be a bait to a cheap death channel.

    Data exclusively obtained by The Nation from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, showing the prevalence of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid and cholera in the 25 general hospitals in Lagos, revealed higher rates of water-borne diseases in areas of the state faced with the most pressing cases of inadequate Water Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) facilities. Such areas include Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe and Orile Agege.

    In 2014, General Hospital Orile Agege recorded a total of 1,690 cases of typhoid fever and 3,213 cases of diarrhoea. The Ijede Health Centre recorded the highest cases of cholera with 48, followed by General Hospital Epe with 15 cases. Also, in the year under review, The Massey Children Hospital also recorded 2,612 cases of diarrhoea while the General Hospital, Epe treated 893 patients out of a total diarrhoea prevalence rate of 12,413 in 2014.

    Diarrhoea prevalence rate in Nigeria, put at 18.8 per cent, is one of the worst in sub-Sahara Africa.

    Although data from 2015 and 2016 showed a slight reduction in the prevalence of water borne diseases in the state, local government areas such as Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry recorded highest prevalence rates.

    The Orile Agege area, which follows closely, is one of the most densely populated urban slums in Lagos. Also, areas such as Epe and Badagry are urban isolated bubbles in Lagos where manufacturing of counterfeited sachet water is common. While the results of the tests of the sachet water samples selected in Ikorodu recorded cases of contamination with acidity, those of Epe and Badagry are being awaited and would be published in the second series of this report next Saturday.

    Shocking source of unhealthy sachet water

    Poster of “best water practices” at the entrance of UNILAG water factory

    The most shocking results of the scientifically tested sachet water samples were the one produced by UNILAG, which recorded the presence of coliform and high microbial load on two separate occasions. On May 15, our reporter purchased three sachets of UNILAG’s water at the Iya Ibeji store located at the campus shuttle park. Another set of samples of sachet water purchased from the same outlet on August 1 and subjected to laboratory test showed the presence of high microbial loads, with the analyst recommending that the water should be treated to make it potable.

    Confronted with the result, officials of the university debunked the claim, saying the tested water samples selected could be counterfeited products smuggled into the campus illegally.

    The University’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Toyin Adebule, told our correspondent that the university had been having a running battle with fake sachet water producers who counterfeited the university’s brand.

    Adebule said: “Our Department of Chemistry on a weekly basis conducts quality assurance test on UNILAG water. There is fake UNILAG water around, and the authority is clamping down on the perpetrators.”

    The Nation paid a visit to the UNILAG factory penultimate Wednesday. At the door post, a banner displaying good water storage practices greets visitors.

    The UNILAG water factory which started in 1995 was privatised recently and is now managed by the University of Lagos Holding Company Limited.

    Speaking with our correspondent, the General Manager of UNILAG Ventures, Mrs Oyewunmi Onanuga said: “We challenge anyone with claims to contamination of our water to buy directly from our factory and subject it to laboratory tests. Only last year, we had a case of adulterated UNILAG water counterfeited by some people.

    “We also emphasise to retailers that storage condition is important. If the water is left under the sun, on the bare floor or stored for a period exceeding validity, then there could be the possibility of contamination.”

    Another ironic twist also occurred with Troven Water, a sachet water brand sourced from the central cafeteria of the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja. Produced by Treasured Rocks Ventures, Troven Water, which also has an LWRC registration number, recorded a low pH of 6.20.

    Damming verdict…pathogenic Faecal Coliform

    The laboratory sample which recorded the most damning verdict was Fizco Water, produced by Akanji Ola and Sons, located in Mushin, a densely populated suburb of Lagos. A very popular brand in the area, the sample was selected at an open market in Mushin and taken to the lab on May 17. When the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics were analysed, it showed the presence of pathogenic bacteria totalling 1.50x 103, exceeding the WHO limits of 1.0×101 in threefold. Also, the total coliform count was 3.0×101, a far cry from the WHO recommended 0.00 limits. The acidity was also high at a record 5.60 against the WHO recommended a maximum of 6.50. Fizco Water is registered with NAFDAC registration number B1-5761L.

    According to a study by the African Journal of Food Science and Technology, Faecal coliforms are bacteria found in the faecal material of humans and warm blooded animals. Diseases such as typhoid fever, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, dysentery and ear infections can be contracted from waters with a high faecal coliform count, the study further revealed. Faecal coliform bacteria can come from surface water through improperly treated wastewater.

    Last month, there was an outbreak of diarrhoea in Lagos State where two people died and 25 others were quarantined. The incident occurred in Shomolu, the locale where Ray Queen Water, another brand contaminated with high acidity, was sourced from. Findings show that Shomolu/Bariga is also a hub for counterfeited sachet water.

    NAFDAC investigates, urges proper storage of packaged water

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), regulates and controls the manufacture and distribution of food, drugs, chemicals, medical devices and packaged water.

    A summary of the results of the first 15 samples was directed to be submitted to the pharmaco-vigilance arm of the agency. Also, NAFDAC ran a cross check on the registration status of the selected water samples. A particular brand, Vic Pure Water, produced by Kroxxing Ventures in Abule-Egba, was not in the agency’s record of registered sachet water producers, even though the sachet has the registration number C1-4773L boldly printed on it. Another brand, Dis Day Water, was registered as Oniks Water while Austin Water produced in Fatai Atere has an expired registration status.

    NAFDAC’s director of Special Duties, Dr Abubakar Jimoh in a chat with The Nation cited storage and counterfeiting as reasons why packaged water registered by the agency may turn out to be contaminated.

    Dr Jimoh said; “Even if a product is registered but it is stored in bad condition, it will return as poison. Bottled water has a life span of one year and sachet water is two months.

    “Secondly, the fact that a water company carries a NAFDAC registration number does not mean it is registered. We have arrested printers who printed labels for those adulterating fast selling sachet water brands.

    “Then the third layer is where the real owner of the product would be compliant when seeking registration but lower their standards once they get registered.  We are also warning people not to buy packaged water from hawkers because of the exposure to the sun,” he submitted.

    How corruption and multiple taxation affect quality of sachet water

    Nothing gives the indication that Dame Clementina Ativie, the National President of the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP), is a forceful woman until she took hold of the microphone to state the grievances of packaged water producers in Lagos at a stakeholders’ meeting on taxation and revenue generation, convened by the state’s Ministry of Finance on August 1.

    She lamented the fact that water producers are vulnerable to tax and revenue collectors from both local government and state levels. The development, she said, is forcing many water producers to relocate to suburbs where there is ease of doing business. She hinted that multiple taxations could be the reason for low-quality sachet water in the state.

    “Consultants and touts are used to threatening us both at the local government and state levels. As I speak, we have over 20 people all going for revenue collection from water producers. More than six agencies alone from the state’s Ministry of Environment, each with an independent letter, with the Lagos state government letter-headed paper.

    “Ninety-nine per cent of the money goes into private pockets because there are no receipts. When government says pay N5,000, the touts will tell you, ‘Give us N2000 and forget the balance.’ The N2,000 is not remitted to the state’s coffers.

    “With the way things are going, those that can continue to pay will start cutting corners on the quality of water,” she said.

    No respite for the poor

    On a hot sunny day in Maryland, Lagos, John Nwordi, a pharmacist carries a fast food branded polyethene bag, heading back to work to have lunch after a hectic morning duty. Asked if he would wash down the food with sachet water, he gave a sharp retort; No!

    Said John; “Gone are those days I drank sachet water. These days, I don’t. Some of the sachet water I have bought in the past had funny outlook and sometimes you’d see substances flying inside the sachet.”

    Not far away, a teenager and aspiring rapper, Micheal Odion, flags down a sachet water Hawker. Asked if he’s not afraid of contamination, his response, “The blood of Jesus covers me!”

    Odion’s response resonates with the thought of many Lagosians who hope for a spiritual force that will cover them from diseases after drinking sachet water. A purified water source is beyond the purchasing power of many Lagos residents.

     

    • Reporting for this story was supported by Code for Africa’s impactAFRICA fund and the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation.
  • NAFDAC, others enlighten on herbal products

    NAFDAC, others enlighten on herbal products

    As early as 8am, 1 Adekunle Fajuyi Road, G.R.A, Ikeja  turned to a beehive of activities. Members of Herbal Medicine Advertisers Association of Nigeria (HMAAN) gathered to update themselves on how to improve on the promotion of indigenous herbal medicines.

    At the forum  were representatives of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Nigeria Broadcasting organisation (NBC), Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, (AAAN), and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). The goal was to ensure that practitioners act within the limit of the law, while advancing herbal traditional medicine products.

    HMAAN Secretary Odukoya Sarafa said the association is in place to let the public know that the products being advertised by them are very reliable which can be taken by people, and NAFDAC is in support.

    Odukoya said herbal medicine is a big industry especially in Europe and Asia and wondered why it is not so in Nigeria despite, “having skillful practitioners who provide affordable health care to our fellow citizens and foreigners. But we all know that without publicising or advertising our products and services it is like someone blinking in the dark.”

    He said: “We don’t want to be in the dark blinking, that is why we are here. Neither do we want to deprive innocent people of alternative and affordable health care services. The team policing accurate standardisation of herbal production and adverting without deceit are with us. Those formulating laws and regulating our activities to meet with international standards will enlighten us to get to that standard stage. With these resourceful participants, I am sure intimidating heights will be surmounted today.”

    Director, Nigeria Broadcasting Code (NBC), Lagos Zone Matthew Okodua advised the herbal practitioners on what to advertise and what not to advertise.  He said if they want their products to go on air,  they must make sure their products are well packaged, adequately labeled, registered with NAFDAC.

    “It does not stop at that, you must obtain NAFDAC’s permit from their office,” he said.

    Okodua said NAFDAC is not out to victimise or witch hunt because similar guidelines given to practitioners by NAFDAC are extended to orthodox medical practitioners.

    “So, as a practitioner, if you have any issue with NAFDAC go to its office. The agency runs an open door policy and is open for you to consult and the officials will be glad to listen to you.”

    Assistant Director, Advertisement Control, Registration and Regulatory Affairs Directorate NAFDAC, Olugbenga Aina said herbal business has the capacity to generate a large revenue, including FOREX for the country and there are some hidden treasure that Nigeria has but yet untapped into, “and this is one that we can diversified into but we have to do it properly.

    “The agency I work for – NAFDAC is very friendly. Processing of Listing for product and for advertisement is easy, and open to all. You can easily get your product registered if you follow the laid out procedure because NAFDAC recognises that herbal medicines and related products are finished medicinal products containing plant and/or their presentation presented with therapeutic or prophylactic claim and include all preparations containing a plant material in part or wholly.

    “For you to advertise your product, there are two basic things you need to get: One, your product must be registered by NAFDAC and after that, you need permit to advertise your product. The permit is what you will take to the advertising house. That will ensure your product can be advertised and be introduced to the general public. The success of these products can follow.”

    Aina said there is sanction for those who refuse to get their products registered and obtain  permit.

    “There is an Advertisement Control Division is a Division in the Registration and Regulatory Affairs Directorate. The Division regulates and controls advertisements via: Issuance of advertisement permits. Monitoring of advertisement in the media to:  One is to ensure compliance with approved advertisement materials such as: artworks, storyboards and scripts, and mete appropriate sanctions where there are deviations from approved advertisement materials. Two, to capture and issue out appropriate sanctions for all unauthorised advertisement of regulated products Once they advertised their product without getting it registered there is a internal arrangement on how to clamp down on that product,” said Aina.

    He went on: “And if you succeed in getting those two things –registration and permit, please do not exaggerate the potency of efficacy of such product. We are dissuading you from telling the public that your single product can cure everything (gbogbonise). NAFDAC is here to monitor the products. NAFDAC here is to protect the public from you giving them what it is not safe. It will safeguard the nation, and that is paramount to the agency. We at NAFDAC are making sure you are not giving public wrong herbal products. We frown at you claiming superiority over the other. Avoid words such as- my product is magic or miracle, this is not accepted by NAFDAC at all,” said Aina.

    He assured the herbal practitioners that NAFDAC is there to work with them to make their herbal business grow.

    “Know that NAFDAC recognises the power of advertisement that it has the capacity to influence public perception and understanding of a company and/or its products. Influences rate of distribution, purchase and consumption of a product. Advertisements of products and other regulated products influence health related issues which can either complement or jeopardise national health policy goals. Journal adverts had been found to successfully lead to increase in sales and prescribing by physicians.”

    He said in this light, NAFDAC’s primary objective to protect and promote public health through the performance of statutory regulatory and control functions and activities on regulated products ensure that good quality and effective Herbal medicines and other regulated products get to the market quickly as well as possible while keeping unproven and dangerous drugs off . It ensures Advertising is true and not misleading or containing any exaggerated claims, either directly or indirectly or implied. All advertising must be in line with summary of products characteristics and marketing authorisation.

    He said: “No person shall advertise any herbal medicine and related product unless it has been registered and the advertisement given pre-clearance and approval by NAFDAC. No advertisement for any herbal. Vague, unsubstantiated statements or suggestions of superiority over other competing herbal medicines or related products; Any false impression that the advertised herbal medicine or related product is for universal cure or should be regarded as a more effective and safer alternative to other herbal medicine or related  products in the same category. No herbal medicine or related product advertisement shall contain such words as ‘magic’, ‘miracle’, or an exotic description such as ‘upper potency’ or such words as to induce daily or continuous use of the product.

    “No advertisement for herbal medicines or related product shall state or imply in absolute terms or by quotation out of context that any herbal medicine or related product is “safe” or has “guaranteed efficacy. Any statement claiming or implying a superlative function such as “most effective”, “least toxic”, “best tolerated” or other special status “herbal medicine” or “related product of choice” etc shall not be used. The approval of any advert shall be valid for a period of one year beginning from the date of approval. Promotional advertisements are not allowed for Drug Products, Herbal Medicine and related Products. Advertisement of a Herbal Medicine or related products as a treatment, prevention or cure for any disease, disorder or abnormal physical state as specified in the schedule of the regulation is not allowed,” said Aina.

    Aina then put them the nitty-gritty required for obtaining the product registration for advertisement permit: “The agency’s guidelines for advertisement of regulated products ensure that only registered products are advertised. Approved Adverts are valid for one year. Consumer promotions are valid for maximum of 15 weeks. Consumer promotion is not allowed for Herbal and Drug Products. Prescription Only Medicines (POM’s) shall be advertised only in medical/scientific journals. Documentation requirements must be met.

    He said all payments should be made into TSA as (Internally Generated Revenue) IGR accruing to NAFDAC. Application form per product is N250.

    “Documentation required are simple- Application letter to Ag. DG (for Administrative Approval) or DD/AC (R&R) (for Normal Approval). Completion of Application Form- Evidence of Product Registration. Letter of Introduction of Advert Agent from the Applicant where applicable. Advertisement materials (scripts, storyboard, artworks. Submission of recorded messages in CD after approval and before airing. Product must be as registered by the Agency. Claim substantiation documents -Herbal Products must carry the Disclaimer- ‘These claims have not been evaluated by NAFDAC.”

     

     

     

  • Fanta, Vitamin C: ‘NBC must withdraw product now’

    Fanta, Vitamin C: ‘NBC must withdraw product now’

    The Vice Chancellor of Benson Idahosa University, Prof. Ernest Izevbigie has insisted that taking Vitamin C with Fanta and sprite soft drink could cause cancer and other health illness.

    He expressed concern over the non-compliance with the order of a Lagos High Court mandating the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to compel NBC to include a written warning that it would be dangerous to take the contents of the soft drinks with Vitamin C.

    He said the 90 days given by the court has since expired and that the NBC should have withdrawn the products until all the issues were resolved.

    Speaking at a press briefing at the university senate chambers, he said that it was worrisome that nothing had changed since the order from the court mandating NAFDAC to compel the Nigeria bottling company (NBC) to do the needful, adding that it was wrong for organizations to place profit ahead of human safety.

    Prof. Izevbigie, said that the institution stood by its research findings on the danger of taking Vitamin C with benzoic acid as in Fanta and Sprite, saying it was done in line with the mandate given to the University to impact knowledge, research and service to the country.

    “It is the university that should serve as an umpire. It is about us to give our expert opinion.”

    He explained that the review of the Scientific literature which examined the effect of temperature (20 o C, 60 o C and 100 o C) on the conversion of Benzoic acid to benzene shows, “an increase in benzene formation of as the temperature increased from 20 degree Celsius to 60 degree Celsius by approximately three fold (300%) in the absence of Vitamin C, and tenfold (1000%) in the presence of Vitamin C in 24 hours. It cannot be concluded the formation of benzene does not occur at 30 o C and 40 o C”.

    He said the colourant used in Fanta, the yellow sunset, had been implicated in cytotoxicity, carcinogenesis, allergies and hyper activity in children when the right amount is not used.

    On benzoic acid, he said the Federal Ministry of Health has explanation to give on the reason why standard given for it in soft drinks was put at 250mg/kg as opposed to 150mg/kg that was obtainable in the United Kingdom and Ghana.

    He further said that azo dyes do not occur in nature, they metabolise due to the presence of azo reductase enzymes in the body, which reduce the azo group to produce two compounds with amino groups.

    Prof Izevbigie, who noted that though the Nigerian standard was high owing to high temperature and that it still falls within the international standard, said pasteurization and the use of carbon dioxide can achieve the same goal as the use of high benzoic acid without the added health risks.

    He urged NAFDAC to live up to its responsibility in scientific research and regulation, adding that the issue of human safety must override business profit.

    He recommended a “reduction of the sodium benzoate concentration to below 150mg/kg, a removal of Vitamin C as an ingredient in Fanta due to concern for benzene toxicity and the use of natural dye as a replacement for the colourant in Fanta.”

  • NAFDAC parades suspected fake drug distributors

    NAFDAC parades suspected fake drug distributors

    The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday paraded two persons for allegedly faking some of its regulated products.

    Its Acting Director-General, Mrs Yetunde Oni, said the suspects were apprehended for substandard medicines, unwholesome foods, corrosive cosmetics and other spurious NAFDAC regulated products.

    She said the Southeast Area Sales Manager of Archy Pharmaceutical Limited, Mrs. Chika Nwaemeka Nwoye, a shop owner, Mr Ojeani Nelson Ebuka and Mr Udoka Offor were arrested for selling fake drugs.

    Mrs. Nwoye and Ebuka were involved in faking, selling and distributing fake Archilin with Codeine Cough Syrup.

    She said: “Mrs Nwoye was arrested at her residence in Delta State at 6am on June 29. The suspect led the team to the shop of Ebuka (popularly known as Ebu-Young) who was reported to be her partner in this trade. He initially evaded arrest when he learnt that operatives were in his shop but later turned himself in after his shop, warehouse and residential apartment were placed on ‘hold’.

    “Several cartons of the fake product were found at the premises of Ebuka. The suspects who were obviously taking advantage of the market opportunities provided by the original products have been arraigned in court.”

    According to her, the agency intercepted several cartons of fake pharmaceutical products and packaging materials in a 1 x 40 foot consignment declared as agricultural parts at the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Lagos”.

    The consignment, she said, was imported with the name Amara Duben Global Ventures, adding: “The fake products included: 15 cartons of Laclox capsules, 19 cartons of Augmentin 625mg tablets, eight cartons of secondary paper packs for Augmentin and 12 cartons of aluminium foil for Augmentin 625mg. The products were neatly concealed behind vehicle spare parts; the products have been evacuated and investigation is ongoing to apprehend the cartel.

    “Offor, of 24, Vital Akekwu Street, Nneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, is being investigated for illegal production, distribution and sale of suspected counterfeiting of COF ‘N’COLD with Codeine syrup. The suspect was arrested in possession of COF ‘N’COLD Codeine syrup, 28 cartons x 50 bottles x 100ml. During interrogation, he admitted to have been producing the Cough Syrup in a room apartment at Asaba, Delta State and markets the product at E/254, Linkap Line, Head Bridge Market in Onitsha, Anambra State.

    “Udoka further confessed that he buys the original product from the market, reduces the fill volume and mixes this reduced fill volume of the original cough syrup with borehole water to produce the exact volume per bottle, thereby making more quantity of the syrup and selling to the unsuspecting public. Investigation is ongoing.”

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    Listen, the main reason why I decided to share our true life story is because I know that millions of Nigerian men suffer from this poor erections and quick ejaculation problem.

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  • ‘No killer anti-malaria drugs in circulation’

    ‘No killer anti-malaria drugs in circulation’

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) yesterday claimed that there are no “killer” anti-malarial medicines in Nigeria.

    Its Acting Director-General, Dr. Yetunde Oni, spoke at a news conference in Lagos yesterday.

    The briefing was prompted by the list of 42 banned anti-malaria medicines released by the Senate and said to be in circulation in hospitals and pharmacies and consumed by Nigerians.

    According to report, the medications have been banned in Europe but were still in the Nigerian market.

    Oni said: “We want to douse the tension and correct the misinformation on the social and mainstream media about the 42 anti-malarial medicines purportedly banned by the European Union but allegedly circulating in the country.

    “It is pertinent to mention that the allegedly banned anti-malarial medicines are oral monotherapies containing single Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) such as Artesunate as contained in Arinate tablet.

    “Others are Amodiaquine as contained in Camoquine, Dihydroartemisinin contained in Alaxin tablet and Pyrimethamine contained in Daraprim tablet.”

    She advised Nigerians to use Artemisin Combination Therapies (ACTs) as they were the WHO’s recommended anti-malarial drugs.

    “I wish to state categorically that these anti-malarial monotherapies are not recommended for treatment of malaria in Nigeria.

    “The recommended anti-malarial medicines for treatment of malaria in Nigeria are Artemisin Combination Therapies (ACTs).

    “The use of ACTs in the treatment of malaria is in line with the guidelines for the treatment of malaria, 3rs Edition, World Health Organisation 2015, Geneva Switzerland.

    “The Nigeria National Anti-Malarial Treatment Policy, February 2005 supports the use of ACTs.”

    She advised Nigerians to look out for scratch and text techniques on anti-malarial drugs before purchase.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Customs, rice farmers sign MoU to stop rice smuggling

    Customs, rice farmers sign MoU to stop rice smuggling

    The Nigeria Customs Service and the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to stop rice smuggling through land border into the country.

    Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, President Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), disclosed this on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    He said even though the importation of rice through the land borders was banned since April 2016 with an extension to the restriction of rice into the Nigerian market from the Export Processing Zones (EPZ), yet smugglers still engaged in the unwholesome act.

    Goronyo warned Nigerians against the consumption of foreign rice, saying that most of the imported rice is stale and only meant for animal and fish feeds.

    He said result of test by NAFDAC through some samples of some of the rice seizures had ascertained that smuggled rice through the land borders was unfit for human consumption.
    “99 per cent of rice smuggled through the land borders are not fit for human consumption,” he said.

    Goronyo said that the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), reiterated recently at a joint meeting with RIFAN and Customs that rice importation remain banned through the land borders.

    The RIFAN President said to ensure effective monitoring of the land borders, the Comptroller-General has approved a 12-man implementation committee to be headed by Assistant Comptroller-General, Alino Dangaladima.

    He said Customs promised to continue to ensure the restriction of rice import through the land borders to boost local production.

    He said that the Comptroller-General agreed that there was need for total ban on rice importation and effective monitoring of the land borders to stop the activities of the smugglers.

    The RIFAN president added that the customs boss reinstated that any attempt to import rice through the land borders would be resisted, saying the position remain unchanged.

    He said the customs told them that it had deployed more officers and men to borders to enforce the order.

    According to him, customs had also re-organised its anti-smuggling patrols to provide additional capability, to enforce the ban of rice import through the land borders.

    Goronyo said that the committee would be replicated at the state level to be headed by all state chairmen of RIFAN and its members would serve in the committee to be headed by the state comptroller of customs.

    He said the enforcement has become imperative because the ongoing Rice Revolution undertaken by many state governments, and Strategic Interventions by the Federal Government Agencies was a step toward self sufficiency.

    According to Goronyo, if adequate measure is not taken to stop the activities of the smugglers, it would have adverse effects on the bumper harvests expected from the rice revolution.

    The RIFAN President commended the customs officials for taking the giant stride to reinstate the confidence of the RIFAN and assuring the farmers of adequate markets for their products.

    He said that the rice that is coming into the country was very huge and not quantifiable, but because Nigeria has a big market one could not see the effect immediately, but gradually the local production would suffer for it.

    Goronyo said that the annual rice production in Nigeria has increased from 5.5 million tonnes in 2015 to 5.8 million tonnes in 2017.

    He said that in 2015, Nigerians spent not less than N1 billion daily on rice consumption, adding that while spending had drastically reduced, consumption had increased because of increased local production of the commodity.
    “The consumption rate now is 7.9 million tonnes, while the production rate is 5.8 tonnes per annum,’’ he said.

  • Bureau to roll out project to enhance service delivery in hospitals 


    Bureau to roll out project to enhance service delivery in hospitals 


    The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), says it will roll out a project on July 3 that will make it easier for patients to see doctors in government hospitals.

    The Director-General of BPSR, Dr Joe Abah, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

    According to him, the project will help track patients experiences in hospitals, with a view to enhance service delivery.

    Abah said this would also allow hospitals personnel, especially doctors and nurses, to be held accountable for their responsibilities.

    He added that this would also help change the perspection the public had on some of the government hospitals as well as making it easier to see doctors in these hospitals.

    “On the 3rd of July, we are starting a piece of work that will make it easier to see a doctor in government hospitals.

    “We have done a presentation to the National Centre for Disease Control, we hope to do the same with NAFDAC and Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

    “We are working with the minister of health on that and it will be funded from the 2017 budget and he has given approval to all the health agencies to cooperate with us.’’

    According to him, the bureau is collaborating with UK DFID and we have selected three hospitals in each state – one teaching hospital, one general hospital and one specialist hospital.

    Abah added that the four pilot states were the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Enugu and Kano, adding that the project would be expanded to cover other states.

    “We are hoping that the data gathered from these places will give us rough estimation of what will happen in other areas.

    “Generally, we will be looking specifically at the ease of accessing doctors and the waiting times that it takes a patient to see a doctor in our hospitals.

    “ We are going to be looking at a lot of things ranging from the queuing system, signs that tells you where to go, how quickly are you seen by a nurse immediately you arrive.

    “ Do you know when the doctor will be there, what the referral system is, how accident emergency, pharmacy, Gynae works?

    “These and many and the whole experiences of seeing a doctor when you get to the hospital is what we are trying to track,’’ he said.

    Abah noted that though the work required intellectual capacity of staff who would be engaged in the field work, he added that it would also be done digitally through a survey application.

    He also said that the minister of health had instructed that “we develop a ranking system after the work had been completed”.

    He said that this would enable the citizenry to be able to know the good and the bad hospitals in the country.

    This, he also said, would serve as a wake up call for hospitals that were not doing well to improve on their service delivery.

  • International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking

    International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking

    There is no argument about the fact that drug abuse and illicit trafficking of substances is a worldwide feeling of discomfort that has a far-reaching consequence because it is fraught with crime, corruption and terrorism. We can observe that Nigeria has the highest consumption of illicit drugs. Due to the invention of new technologies, the production of these drugs has increase which makes them to become very cheap and therefore affordable.

    International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking is a day set aside to raise awareness to major problems that the unlawful use and distribution of drugs portends for the society.

    The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking serves to draw awareness to the need for action and cooperation in order to achieve a drug-free world.  Illicit drugs and their trafficking pose a large health threat to humanity. Drug problems and dependencies put a great deal of pressure on health care systems and constitute a threat to the safety and well-being of humans all around the globe.

    Long-term drug abuse has been linked to poor general health, contraction of diseases through needle sharing, trouble with the law, poor self-hygiene, alienation from loved ones, psychological illnesses and death from overdose.

    In December 1987, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was designated by the United Nations. It is celebrated annually on June 26, a symbolic day that commemorates the dismantling of the opium trade in Guangdong. The day also serves as an opportunity for Member Nations to reaffirm their support for UN Conventions that attempt to control the world’s drug supply.

    Drug abuse according to Wikipedia is a patterned use of a drug in which the user consumes the substance in amount or with methods which are harmful to themselves. Drug abuse can also be associated with taking overdose of a drug. Examples of abused drugs include: cocaine, heroin, marijuana, prescription drugs, including opioids.

    Illicit trafficking on the other hand is an illegal trading, selling or dealing in specified goods.

    ‘Health’ is the ongoing theme of the world drug campaign. According to the United Nations report, the value of illegal drugs traded around the world is put at more than $32billion yearly. According to this statistics, we can see that drug abuse and trafficking is a problem and major deterrent to humanity and the wellbeing of the youths in particular.

    The most surprising thing is the increasing number of secondary school and tertiary institution students taken to consuming hard drugs. Other groups of individuals susceptible to drug abuse are drivers, conductors, artists, musicians, etc.

    Considering the biological implications of drug abuse, it is pertinent that we understand not only the injurious effect of substance abuse to our organs, but also to unborn children at the fetal stage. An expectant mother who is taken to drug abuse might be causing more harm than good to her unborn child.

    Psychosocially, drug abuse destroys families progressively; once a member of a family becomes overtly addicted to drug (especially psychedelic drugs), he or she begins to act irrationally. This can prove huge danger for those around them, as there are a plethora of stories of siblings hurting each other due to drug abuse.

    The consequences of drug abuse have been violence, rape, suicide, poor academic performance, poor health condition, school dropout etc. Drug abuse is associated with vices such as cultism, armed robbery, thuggery, etc.

    Conclusively, it is expedient that government (federal and state), and all their policy wonks should begin to not only pass laws to curb the preponderance of drug abuse, but also, to enforce the extant laws on substance abuse.

    Parents are also to play key roles in the educational progress of their children through effective communication with the children and with the help of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other paraphernalia of government like NAFDAC, NDLEA, and Human right groups. Investing more on technological devices that can enhance the ability to detect hard drug traffickers is also advisable.

     

  • Gaidam, Nafdac to fight fake drugs

    The war against fake drugs has   received a boost in Yobe State, with Governor Ibrahim Gaidam directing the  Commissioner for Land to provide land for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to build its offices.

    He asked the Head of Service to provide office accommodation for the agency in the two senatorial districts to reduce the logistic challenges  facing NAFDAC.

    Gaidam, who promised to provide a vehicle to the agency to assist it in patrolling the state, said the donations were in demonstration of  the government’s commitment to assisting NAFDAC to rid the state  of drug misuse and poor handling of pesticides and agro-chemicals.

    He made the donations during a visit by the NAFDAC’s Acting Director-General, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, in his office.

    Mrs Oni was on the visit to inform the governor of the agency’s campaign on “Rational use of controlled medicines, safe handling of chemicals and responsible use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals” in the state.

    The campaign, Mrs Oni said, would empower people with the right knowledge in drug misuse and proper handling of agro-chemicals.

    While declaring the sensitisation workshop open, Gaidam described the initiative as a bold step by the NAFDAC to enlighten the public about the dangers of irrational use of drugs, pesticides and chemicals.

    He said: “This way, the public will be kept abreast of the unpleasant consequences for society if left unchecked.”

    Earlier, Mrs.  Oni, who presented the requests for land and accommodation to the governor, said the NAFDAC’s office, a warehouse and a laboratory complex would be built on the land, adding that they would enhance the performance of the agency in the state via shortening the registration and bringing the agency closer to the grassroots.

    Mrs. Oni said the enlightenment was one of the strategies deployed by NAFDAC to fight substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome and spurious regulated products.

    “We will continue to sensitise the public on the public health implications of these substandard, falsified and unwholesome regulated products and the efforts of NAFDAC in tackling this ugly menace,” she said.

    She added that collaboration was essential to building sustainable strategies against these problems in addition to other challenges, such as drug abuse as well as misapplication of pesticides and herbicides, which have led to the rejection of these value-added agricultural products in the international market.

    According to her, the health implication caused by this challenge informed the efforts of NAFDAC to educate farmers, herders and other handlers on the appropriate and safe use of pesticides, and develop Guidelines and Standard Operating  Procedure for Chemical Regulation and Control to address emerging issues.

    She added: “Risk assessment and Field Trials of fertiliser have been introduced for effective control and management of agrochemicals.”

    Mrs. Oni implored Nigerians to continue to support NAFDAC in the fight against the proliferation of substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome food and other substandard or spurious regulated products.