Nigeria, ECOWAS tasked on drug importation

AS the Coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to spread with the potential threat to drug supplies, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has stressed the need for Nigeria and other ECOWAS member-states to reduce dependency on drug imports by encouraging, supporting and incentivising local manufacture of the drugs needed for common conditions on the continent.

WAHO revealed that it was currently exploring linking viable drug manufacturers with international sources of funds to expand manufacturing, adding that the organisation’s work with the United Nations Development Organisation (UNIDO) had assessed pharmaceuticals manufacturers in the region, developed a roadmap for them to achieve the highest Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Director General of WAHO, Prof. Stanley Okolo, disclosed this at the African Medicine Quality Forum organised by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday in Abuja.

He stressed the need to strengthen, refine and promote “our traditional medicines.”