Senate Committee Extols NAFDAC DG

The Senate Committee on Health has commended the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Dr. Paul Orhii, for his commitment to curbing counterfeit drugs and other substandard products in the country.
Dr-Paul-Orhii-nafdac
Speaking during a visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, the committee Chairman, Senator Margery Okadigbo, lauded the different strategies adopted by NAFDAC in combating drug counterfeiting.

Also, Senator Sefiu Kaka commended Orhii, noting that the agency’s impact had been acknowledged globally.

Responding, Orhii said despite the successes recorded by the agency, it remained resolute to achieving zero counterfeit medicines and other regulated products in the country.

He said NAFDAC’s success was due to the deployment of cutting-edge technology, which had led to the reduction in counterfeit medicines to 20 per cent, down from 64 per cent in 2008.

Orhii added that with the World Health Organisation-prequalification being pursued by NAFDAC with support from the Ministry of Health, some pharmaceutical industries would be positioned to increase the country’s sufficiency in the production and availability of essential medicines.

“This will aid regulation,” he said.

Orhii was recently elected as chair of the Member State Mechanism, among 193 member states of the WHO.