The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched three major initiatives aimed at improving maternal, newborn, and child health, promoting nutrition, and combating substandard and falsified medical products across Nigeria.
The initiatives, the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N), the NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), and the National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027), were unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday.
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Speaking at the launch, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, described the initiatives as a defining moment in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen health systems and safeguard vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.
Mrs Adeyeye said the initiatives are interconnected pillars that demonstrate NAFDAC’s unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in society.
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“Through the Office of Women and Children’s Health, NAFDAC seeks to champion safe motherhood, promote rational medicine use, encourage breastfeeding, and combat harmful practices such as drug misuse and unsafe cosmetics,” she said.
She added that the agency would collaborate with relevant ministries, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector to support the local production of paediatric medicines and menstrual hygiene products.
The MNCH+N initiative, she explained, would tackle the challenges of malnutrition and maternal and child mortality through strengthened regulation of life-saving nutrition commodities and enforcement of breastfeeding-friendly policies.
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“Partnerships with WHO, UNICEF, and GAIN continue to reinforce these regulatory and production systems for sustainable impact,” she said.
Health reform agenda
Also speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, commended NAFDAC for introducing the initiatives, which he said align with President Bola Tinubu’s health reform priorities.
Mr Pate noted that maternal mortality has dropped by 17 per cent and newborn deaths by 10 per cent in recent years, but said the country still has a long way to go to achieve desired outcomes.
He said the Office for Women’s Health would focus on maternal nutrition, reproductive health, and access to safe and effective medicines.
He added that locally-produced maternal and reproductive health products were becoming more common, thanks to ongoing reforms.
Mr Pate emphasised that the National Action Plan against substandard and falsified medicines would strengthen drug safety and ensure public trust in the health system.
He called on all stakeholders, government agencies, civil society, professional bodies, and the media, to work together to ensure that no Nigerian dies from preventable causes.
NAFDAC’s leadership
In her goodwill message, the Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on NAFDAC, Regina Akume, praised NAFDAC’s leadership for introducing programmes that would have lasting impact on the health of women and children.
Ms Akume said the renewed focus highlights Nigeria’s commitment to protecting the lives of mothers and children, ensuring safe pregnancies, healthy children, and thriving families.
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She also lauded the agency’s establishment of the Office for Women and Children’s Health, describing it as a dedicated platform for promoting inclusive health policies and advancing research that directly addresses the needs of women and children.
She expressed support for NAFDAC’s National Action Plan to eliminate substandard and falsified medicines, noting that such efforts are essential to restoring trust and protecting lives.
“Substandard and falsified medicines endanger lives, erode trust, and undermine the progress we have made in healthcare delivery,” she said.
Ms Akume assured the agency of her ministry’s continued partnership in advancing national health goals.
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