NAFDAC Plans to Eradicate Malaria through Vaccination

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced its intention to conduct Malaria Vaccine Clinical Trials across Nigeria, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC, has disclosed.

She made the disclosure at an interactive session on Pharmacovigilance Inspection with pharmaceutical stakeholders in Lagos.

The aim of initiating Malaria Vaccine Clinical Trials, according to her, was to combat the malaria epidemic in the country.

In a statement released by NAFDAC, it was also emphasized that the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria should establish a Pharmacovigilance Surveillance Department.

This directive was part of the Agency’s efforts to fully implement pharmacovigilance practices nationwide.

Prof. Adeyeye explained that the pharmaceutical industry must establish robust systems to ensure effective monitoring of their products throughout the entire supply chain.

This step, she noted, was crucial to guarantee the safety and quality of pharmaceuticals in circulation.

“The MAHs must as a matter of importance train and further engage all relevant stakeholders along their supply chain on the need for pharmacovigilance and use of relevant reporting platforms for reporting ADRs/AEFIs to the Agency. T

“The sustained safety of medical products in Nigeria lies on a vast array of stakeholders and it has become imperative to continually improve on our pharmacovigilance processes for safety monitoring”, she said.

The National President of Community Pharmacists Association of Nigeria, Pharm. Wale Oladigbolu, commended NAFDAC for the initiative, stressing that although PV was not new, but with this new approach the stakeholders know that they would be dealing with the public in a very scientific manner to protect their health.