The House of Representatives has declared a war against fake anti-malaria drugs in a bid to safeguard lives and stop the complications that come from using such drugs, News About Nigeria reports.
In line with this goal, the House on Thursday mandated its Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control to carry out a baseline survey across the six geo-political zones of the country on fake anti-malaria drugs and report back to it within four weeks.
The decision of the House is following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance brought before it by Billy Osawaru and Osonwa Ibe, representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode and Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituencies of Edo and Abia states, respectively.
In the bill, which was titled “Motion on the Urgent Need to Conduct a National Baseline Survey on Fake anti-malaria Medicines in Nigeria,” the lawmakers highlighted the health havoc that such fake drugs have caused in Nigeria.
They further noted that the use of these fake drugs for treatment usually causes complications for unsuspecting Nigerians and can eventually lead to their death.
The lawmakers also stated that although the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have been making efforts in the fight against fake drugs, which is now one of the most crucial public health problems in Nigeria, more needs to be done.
According to them, it is in line with this backdrop that they will be carrying out the baseline survey, which will help determine the before and after situations of the project ‘fight against low-quality anti-malaria medicines in Nigeria’.
The survey will also provide them with useful information that will be used in determining the methodology to be adopted to reduce the number of deaths from the use of fake malaria drugs in Nigeria.
