The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated the taskforce on counterfeit, fake drugs and unwholesome processed foods in Ebonyi State.
The inauguration which took place at the Centenary City, Abakaliki, attracted key stakeholders from NAFDAC, the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria and the police.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director South East Zone, Festus Ukadike gave an overview of the enforcement initiative as well as its objectives.
She urged the Ebonyi State government to take the lead in confronting the growing threat of counterfeit medicines and unsafe packaged foods which endanger lives, undermine healthcare outcomes, distort markets and increase health costs as well as productivity losses.
Prof. Adeyeye tasked the taskforce to enforce standards, coordinate intelligence-driven surveillance, remove illegal products from circulation, and support legitimate manufacturers and traders by ensuring that compliant businesses are not undermined by counterfeiters and illegal operators.
The NAFDAC boss disclosed that the taskforce would carry out coordinated market inspections and rapid testing where needed, including transparent reporting to the chairman of the Federal Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods.
Chairman of the Federal Task Force, Martin Iluyomade, who spoke through Zoom from Lagos State, said that the taskforce derived its legal backing from an Act of the National Assembly and it supersedes any similar task force constituted by a state.
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Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma described the circulation of harmful drugs and unhealthy foods as a serious threat to human existence, stressing that the menace kills silently, weakens the healthcare system and affects the poor and vulnerable.
While commending NAFDAC for its intervention in the health sector, he expressed his readiness of the state government to provide the necessary assistance to ensure that the aims of setting up the taskforce are achieved.
He enumerated the efforts made by the state government to curb counterfeit drugs and extolled the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifur for prioritizing healthcare.
The Ebonyi State NAFDAC Coordinator, Mr. Emeka Orajiaka emphasized that the fight against counterfeit drugs and unwholesome processed foods cannot be tackled by NAFDAC alone.
He added that with the collaborative efforts of the newly inaugurated taskforce, significant progress can be achieved in protecting the health and safety of Ebonyi residents.
