Foundation advises NAFDAC on difficult products registration

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have advised the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reduce difficulties in products registration processing.

The Senior Advisor Regulatory Affairs to the Foundation, Dr Vincent Ohonkhai, who gave the advice when he visited the agency in Abuja yesterday, urged the agency to focus more on value added activities, and ensure that products get to consumers in time, adding that most regulation agencies lacked efficiency in capacity building.

He said long approval time contributes to the phenomenon of drug lag, and that is why the foundation is trying to work with a lot of partners on that, to address this issue.
Ohonkhai further advised NAFDAC to collaborate with other countries to combat counterfeit and fake medicines to achieve global agenda to ensure good health for the people.

He said: “the effort of Nigeria and NAFDAC at reducing counterfeit products is acknowledged globally.
“Partnering with other countries would help in the attainment of global health agenda.”
Ohonkhai also advised the agency to facilitate access to global polio eradication initiatives, adding that they should improve on manufacturers’ input in their activities.

In his speech, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, said the agency has reviewed the process to 90 day time-line, adding that processing of products registration had lingered for long in the past.

He said: “NAFDAC has the shortest registration process; this is to ensure transparency.
The agency has improved manufacturers input, and is working in partnership with companies to achieve World Health Organization’s pre-qualification exercise of medicines.”

Orhii further expressed appreciation for the Foundation’s recommendations, and requested for assistance to meet with some demands of the agency.