November 28, (THEWILL) – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the abuse of antibiotics.
Director General of the agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who issued the warning at a virtual meeting to mark the 2021 World Antimicrobial Resistance Week (WAAW), said, irrational use of antibiotics has accelerated the process of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Prof Adeyeye in a statement issued on Sunday by NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, warned that if allowed to fester, antimicrobial resistance could lead to death, adding that the menace and war against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has not only gained prominent and global attention but, also, a significant battle that the human race must win.
“It is in view of this fact; I am delighted to be part of this battle and welcome all our esteemed stakeholders to the front line of this battle. Creating awareness amidst us all is a major step in AMR stewardship by relevant stakeholders to effectively stop resistance.
“Step is unique and is expected, not only to redirect our way of handling and use of antimicrobial agents, but also to yield a significant reduction in the incidence of AMR’’, she said.
Adeyeye expressed dismay that the development and proliferation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which is the ability of pathogenic microorganism to resist the effect of antimicrobial agents when used to treat internal or external infections in both human and animal population has compromised the ability of antimicrobials to effectively treat infectious diseases as expected.
“The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens continues to weaken the health systems’’, she lamented, adding that the fight against AMR requires collective efforts that are interlinked and interphase along the One-Health Concept.
She said NAFDAC in her regulatory activities has put in place some important regulatory measures to curb the emergence and spread of AMR.
“This is very necessary and extremely important to ensure food safety and food security, a safe environment, and a healthy citizen in our dear country’’, she said, adding that everyone in the healthcare, livestock production and environmental management subsectors of the economy is directly or indirectly involved in curbing AMR.
Adeyeye, however, reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that only safe and wholesome food, drugs, and other regulated products are available to Nigerians.
She said “the Agency is now more dedicated to the delivery of quality services to our stakeholders thus the Agency’s slogan “customer focused…. Agency minded” which is now well entrenched in our operations’’.
She further explained that the Agency seeks to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders, sister MDAs both at State and Federal levels, toward a more effective regulation and active involvement in creating awareness about AMR, insisting that ignorant and / or non-conformance amidst professionals will be a serious setback in bringing to an end the emergence and spread of AMR.
“The Agency’s stake in the protection of public health, as entrenched in NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004, is to ensure that regulated products that are available for use are wholesome, safe and of the right quality.
“The Agency, in fulfilling this mandate toward combating AMR, is adding impetus to her regulatory activities through industrial outreach and collaboration with stakeholders and fostering synergy within her technical directorates to attain a seamless regulatory process and ensuring that the distribution and use of regulated products are effectively controlled through a robust Post Marketing Surveillance”, she said.
Adeyeye disclosed that the Agency has, amidst other regulatory actions: reviewed the formulation of all antibiotics to prevent the excessive use of multiple Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and banned the use of Antibiotics as growth promoter in livestock and fish production.
She said the Agency has banned the use of Antibiotics and gentian violet as mold inhibitor in animal feed. She said that the Agency also introduced the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS), a mechanism put in place for detecting counterfeit antibiotics by consumers while NAFDAC organised road show campaign and public enlightenment on the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents to promote safe and judicious use of antibiotics.
According to the DG, misuse resulting from overuse and underuse of antimicrobial agents have been implicated in the increasing trend of resistant pathogens in both human and animal populations.
