Citing the need for medicine security, the stakeholders noted that a
country with a population size like Nigeria cannot afford to depend on
importation of key therapeutic agents.
Besides, MAN also commended Juhel Nigeria Limited for investing in a
manufacturing plant for the production of maternal commodities and
medicine such as magnesium sulphate and oxytocin injection.
Addressing journalists on the development, MAN President, Dr. Frank
Jacobs stated that the new plant will further aid backward integration
of medicines that were hitherto imported into the country.
According to him, with the efficacy of many imported oxytocin not
guaranteed, going by the outcome of the research conducted by several
development and regulatory agencies, local production of the medicine is
the best development to happen to the country.
“This development will aid foreign exchange conservation, improve
accessibility of the medicine to many Nigerians in terms of price and
location as well as guarantee the potency of the medicine considering
the environmental conditions in which the products will be
manufactured”, he added.
The Chief Executive Officer of Juhel Nigeria Limited, Dr. Ifeanyi
Okoye explained that the motivation to establish the plant was as a
result of the low quality products being circulated in the country.
“Post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) or excessive bleeding after
childbirth, is one of the major complications of child births and it
accounts for 20-30 per cent of all maternal deaths. However, PPH is both
treatable and preventable using according to WHO recommended
guidelines, oxytocin injection as a frontline drug of choice.
“Despite the availability of myriad of imported brands in the
country, the fatality of maternal death is still high due to low quality
of oxytocin injections in hospitals and clinics across Nigeria. The
result of a research conducted by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
Convention/Promoting the Quality of Medicine (PQM) project supported by
USAID and NAFDAC, showed that 74.2 per cent of oxytocin in circulation
failed quality laboratory evaluation.
“To this end, USP for two years collaborated with Juhel Nigeria
Limited towards the production of these maternal commodities and the
manufacturing plant is our contribution towards reducing the maternal
death burden in Nigeria”, he explained further.
On the firm’s ability to meet local demand and checking faking, Okoye
said the production plant’s capacity can meet demand in Nigeria and the
Sub-Saharan African region, while processes have been put in place to
checking counterfeiting or activities that may reduce the potency of the
medicine.
Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers
Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) Simon Okey Akpa urged for the right
policies and support to encourage investments in the nation’s
pharmaceutical sector.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, who was represented
by Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi commended the firm for the investments noting
that such efforts will further promote national development.
To
reduce dependence on importation of quality medicine, the Manufacturers
Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other stakeholders in the
pharmaceutical industry have advocated improved investments in drugs
production in the country.Pages
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