Why counterfeiting of medical products persists, by NAFDAC
THE Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, yesterday said that counterfeiting of medicine has globally grown tremendously in the last five or six years because drug barons are diverting their resources to faking of medical products as it seems less risky and more lucrative.
Orhii, who spoke yesterday in Lagos during a press briefing to announce the agency’s forthcoming yearly summit and exhibition, estimated the global drug fraud as between $75 and $200 billion yearly, saying: “Counterfeiting of medical products is less risky because there are so many countries that do not have laws to punish counterfeiters. Nigeria is one of the countries that have laws against drug counterfeiters.”
The summit, which is a convergence of stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector and academia, will serve as a single but effective platform of public engagement for NAFDAC and stakeholders, as well as to showcase new ideas and innovations.
The director-general explained that Nigeria is one of the several countries being targeted by drug counterfeiters because it is a “big country with 170 million people”, adding that up till now, Nigeria is yet to manufacture half of her essential medicine.
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.