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  • NPHCDA alerts Nigerians on contaminated Paediatric cough syrups in circulation in Gambia

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, has alerted the Nigerian public on contaminated and substandard cough syrups in circulation in Gambia.

    The alert was contained in a Public Alert No. 040/2022 – Alert on Substandard (contaminated)
    paediatric cough syrups circulating in Gambia issued by the agency, made available to newsmen in Abuja today.
    The alert read, the NAFDAC it is notifying Healthcare providers and the public of the death of 66 children in Gambia following the use of four substandard cough syrups as reported by WHO in September 2022.

    The four products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
    Laboratory analysis of samples of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.

    Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal. Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.

    The stated manufacturer of these products is Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India). To date, the stated manufacturer has not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products.
    The cough syrups are as follows Promethazine Oral Solution,
    Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup
    Magrip N Cold Syrup , and products is said to be manufactured in Haryana, India by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited.

  • NPHCDA debunks reports of 70% substandard drugs in Nigeria

    NPHCDA debunks reports of 70% substandard drugs in Nigeria

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has debunked a recent media report attributed to the Executive Director of the Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, saying that over 70% of drugs dispensed in Nigeria are substandard.

    In a press release signed by the Media Head of the Agency, Mohammad Ohitoto of the agency the media claim is unfounded and false as the Executive Director never made such statement to any media.

    The release read: The public relations unit of the agency can authoritatively report that the Executive Director never made such a statement anywhere in his engagements.

    Furthermore, the Executive Director is aware that drug administration and monitoring is outside the Agency’s mandate, and it is incorrect to assert that 7 out of every 10 drugs in Nigeria is substandard.

    NPHCDA has re-examined all external materials and online platforms, and will ensure that this inaccurate information is not communicated by NPHCDA, to avoid any misunderstanding.

  • FG to transform health system as NPHCDA hosts PHC Summit

    FG to transform health system as NPHCDA hosts PHC Summit

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    In a bid to transform Nigeria’s Primary Health Care, PHC, system, Executive Director of the National Health Care Development Agency , NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib has said that agency in collaboration the Ministry of Health is set to host the PHC Summit on 24th and 25yh of March , 2022 in Abuja.

    In a release made available to health correspondents , the agency said that the launch of the programme is aimed at transforming the PHC in Nigeria for a strengthened quality health care system in the country.

    Shuaib in a statement said, “The Summit is geared towards launching a historic programme to transform the under-resourced, weak primary health care system in Nigeria by leveraging private sector, international agencies and government collaboration.”
    According to him, the Summit themed: ‘ Reimagining PHC” will converge national elected leaders, top government officials, and leading private sector executives to brainstorm on attainable plans that will on a large scale move Nigeria’s primary health care (PHC) system by the year 2030, adding that the programme is solutions-focused and dedicated to delivering improved PHC services across the country.

    “Thus, the Summit will kick-start fund mobilization to realize the programme’s goals – it will be an inclusive project, leveraging the know-how and resources of the private sector, government, and global development agencies.”

    Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire who noted that “Primary health care is the foundation of the entire health system, its strength is crucial to the functioning of all other levels.” said that the nation’s health care needs urgent and comprehensive reform.

  • NPHCDA Promises Best COVID-19 Vaccination programme in Africa  

    NPHCDA Promises Best COVID-19 Vaccination programme in Africa  

    … NASS  confronted  agency on lack of   capacity to deliver  vaccination- Dr. Shuaib 
    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
    Executive Director to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCD, Dr. Faisal Shuaib has said the agency would deliver the best  COVID-19 vaccination programme in Africa
    Shuaib said  that he is confident that the agency would achieve this feat despite  the lack of confidence  by the National Assembly that NPHCDA have the capacity to deliver on the COVID-19 vaccination in the country and the success recorded so far on the vaccination programme.
    He made this promise  today  in Abuja at the NPHCDA Year 2021 Staff Productivity and Send –  Forth Ceremony.
    He said, ” Nobody gave us a chance to deliver on COVID-19. Nobody gave us a chance to  do  the best COVID-19 programme all across Africa.”
    “I  know that our number might not be showing that we are doing so well, but it is not how well you start but how well you finished and we will finish and will be the best programme in the whole of Africa.”
    He stated that at advent  of COVID-19 in the country  the National Assembly invited the agency but  belittled it’s capacity to deliver the vaccination programme.
    Shuaib recalled,  “We were invited to the national assembly and a number of legislators told me to my face that NPHCDA does not have the capacity to deliver COVID-19 vaccination”.
    “Despite  all of the examples that I gave about how well we worked together to eradicate wild polio virus. They said no, this one is different.”
    The NPHCDA boss  praised the staff for their tireless work at making the COVID-19 vaccination programme result- oriented.
    Do I need to go back to the National Assembly to show them the amazing things that you guys gave done?, he said.
    To appreciate the staff of the agency, Shuaib  promised to  improve the staff welfare packages  and salary increase  reward for the incredible work  they do.
    “We are the generation of Nigerians that will make the difference and making that difference start wit you and start with compensating you for the hard work that you have been putting across the years.”
    Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our routine immunization still continued to rise from 33 percent to 71 percent and 63 percent and we will keep going, he emphasized.
  • Polio Alert: FG engages experts to put measures in place to safeguard Nigeria from Malawi virus- NPHCDA

    Polio Alert: FG engages experts to put measures in place to safeguard Nigeria from Malawi virus- NPHCDA

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    The Federal Government said it has engaged experts to put measures in place to safeguard Nigeria from the recent outbreak of the Wild Polio Virus, WPV, in Malawi.

    Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib said the measures put in place is to protect Nigeria against the importation of the virus from Malawi Polio outbreak.

    Shuaib said, ” One of such measures is the reactivation and reconstitution of the Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization, ERC.
    According to him the ERC provides expert advice and guidance on strategies and approaches for polio eradication can and routine immunization.”
    it has become imperative to reactivate the committee following the recent outbreak of WPV in Malawi and the outbreaks of circulating variant of polio virus type 2 (cVPV2) in Nigeria, he emphasized.

    In light of this, the ED said that the committee meets periodically to review the country’s polio eradication and routine immunization programmes taking into consideration population-based and laboratory studies, programmatic approaches, cost information, and other issues so as to provide a holistic and practical advice to the country.

    Accordingly, the ERC would work with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to come up with multistakeholder plans to strengthen surveillance, build population immunity, mitigate against and control all forms of polio viruses, the NPHCDA boss disclosed.

    The reconstituted 12-member expert committee is headed by a public health expert, Prof. Akin Osibogun with members drawn from the academia, the media, donors and development partners including WHO, CDC and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Other members are Prof Dorothy Esangbedo, Prof Shuaib Bello, Prof Clara Ejembi, Prof Sade Ogunsola, Prof B.S.C. Uzochukwu, Prof Ilayisu Zubairu, Dr. Muhammad Dallatu, Mr Mannir Dan Ali, Dr Steve Cochi (CDC), Mr Aidan O’Leary
    (WHO) and Jay Wenger (BMGF). The reconstituted ERC have a renewable tenure of two years and will be inaugurated at a date to be announced soon.
    The agency recalled that the ERC’s expert advice contributed immensely to the country’s achievement of WPV-free status in August 2020.

  • FG to integrate COVID-19 vaccination, routine immunization at PHCs

    FG to integrate COVID-19 vaccination, routine immunization at PHCs

    …as new COVID-19 variant IHU, Deltacron,BA.2 invade France, Cyprus

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    Owing to the increase and spike COVID-19 infections over the festive period both locally and globally, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, said it would integrate COVID-19 vaccination with the routine childhood vaccination at the Primary Health Care, PHC.

    Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Shuaib said, “We would also like to inform the general public that in this phase of COVID-19 mass vaccination we plan to integrate the campaign with childhood immunization and other PHC services.”
    “What this simply means is that alongside the COVID-19 vaccines, childhood vaccines will also be available at COVID-19 vaccination sites.”
    He therefore urged parents or guardians with children aged zero to 23 months are urged to take them along to the vaccination sites.
    He stressed that the routine childhood vaccines protect against polio, whooping cough, measles, yellow fever, tetanus, tuberculosis, and other childhood preventable diseases.
    He explained, “This is to ensure that while we are trying so hard to control the transmission of COVID-19, we do not neglect other PHC services or even have outbreaks of childhood vaccine preventable diseases on our hands.”

    The ED urged Nigerians to visit vaccination sites or health centres nearest to them with their zero to 23 months old children for vaccination against COVID-19 and childhood vaccine- preventable.
    Meanwhile, Shuaib informed that there are global COVID-19 new variants with mutants spiking new infections.

    He said,” Globally we saw the emergence of new variiants such as the IHU variant in France which is said to have 46 mutants, Dektacron in Cyprus and the Omicron variant still being highly infectious with the BA.2 subvariant rapidly spreading.”

    The reason for the emergence of these variants, is because there is still a large proportion of the eligible population who have not yet been vaccinated and this has given the virus time to mutate and fight back, he explained.
    We call on Nigerians to avail themselves of the opportunity in the on-going mass vaccination exercise to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Shuaib appealed to Nigerians.

  • No new case of Polio outbreak in Nigeria – NPHCDA

    No new case of Polio outbreak in Nigeria – NPHCDA

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, has authoritatively said that there is currently no case of Wild Polio Virus, WPV , in Nigeria.
    The agency said this in a reaction to some media reports claiming there is a new polio virus, Mutant Polio Virus Type 2 (cMPV2) outbreaks in some states.

    Refuting some media reports via a released signed by the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib made available to newsman today said, “For the avoidance of doubt, no case of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) has been reported anywhere in the country since the last case in 2016. We currently have 395 cases of Circulating Mutant Poliovirus Type 2 (cMPV2) across 27 states and the FCT.”

    According to the agency, “Nigeria and the African region were certified Wild Polio Virus (WPV) free in 2020, following a rigorous verification and certification process by the African Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (ARCC) which spanned three years of no detection of WPV. Till date, there has been no case of WPV anywhere in the country.”

    Meanwhile the NPHCDA has assured Nigerians of continued to surveillance and vaccination campaigns to prevent and contain any possible importation of the Wild Polio Virus into the country.

    The agency emphasized the importance of parents and caregivers bringing their children out for routine immunization against vaccine preventable diseases.

    However NPHCDA said that cMPV2 outbreaks are caused by immunity gaps in children due to several reasons, including low routine immunization coverage, and missing children during immunization campaigns.

    The suspension of several polio campaigns and other health programmes in 2020, as well as disruptions to routine immunization because of the COVID-19 pandemic, created further immunity gaps which led to new and wider outbreaks, and further increased transmission of the circulating mutant poliovirus both globally and within Nigeria.

    The viruses thrive in areas with poor sanitation, open defecation, and inadequate access to clean drinking water.
    These have allowed the virus to be easily transmitted from one person to another through contaminated water and poor sewage disposal. Also Malnutrition due to increasing poverty is also a predisposing factor in exposed children. These non-wild polio viruses which originated because of normal changes in the reproduction of viruses in the environment are not as virulent as WPV and are also being reported in many other countries, the agency explained.

    Shuaib disclosed that already Nigeria has acquired new tools and resources to ensure the outbreaks are contained through very robust outbreak responses using the novel Oral Polio Vaccine (nOPV2) which has been shown to be effective in halting the spread of the cMPV2.
    He said that the 36 States and FCT have completed at least one nOPV2 Outbreak Response (OBR).
    Other measures include several other rounds of the OBR and use of Injectable Polio Vaccine, IPV, planned for this year as other
    campaigns to improve the mucosal immunity of children aged o-5 years.

  • One Million Expired AstraZeneca Vaccines Set To Be Destroyed – NPHCDA

    One Million Expired AstraZeneca Vaccines Set To Be Destroyed – NPHCDA

    Nigeria is set to destroy one million AstraZeneca vaccines in line with environmental protocols.

    This is according to the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib.

    Dr. Faisal at a briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee insisted that no expired vaccine has been utilized in the country.

    The NPHCDA boss also stated at the briefing that 7.89m eligible persons have received the first dose while 3.9m have received the full dose.

    He further revealed that only 496 Nigerians have received the booster dose.

    Faisal maintained that the virus is still thriving particularly during these latter months, but he assured that the PSC is working to disseminate the vaccines to as many communities as possible.

    He reiterated that Nigeria will no longer accept vaccines with a short shelf life as was tenable in the past, noting that so far, the PSC has administered over 10,000 doses of short-shelf life vaccines.

    The NPHCDA boss’ comments come a few days after the Federal Government confirmed that within the last month, some COVID-19 vaccines expired in the country.

    However, according to the government, the vaccines are said to have been withdrawn and will be destroyed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    In a statement, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, noted that the donation of surplus Covid-19 vaccines with short/expiring shelf lives has been of great concern internationally.

    Ehanire, however, assured that the government has been handling the situation effectively, upholding the greatest standards for the safety of all Nigerians.

  • Nigeria not on COVID-19 Red Alert list- NPHCDA

    Nigeria not on COVID-19 Red Alert list- NPHCDA

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    Executive Director of the National Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib has announced that Nigeria is not on the UK COVID-19 red alert listed countries that need to mandatory quarantine for 14 days in a supervised UK hospital.

    Shuaib made this announcement at the press conference on progress of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria.
    He said that in line with the UK statement Nigerians will continue to isolate upon arrival to the UK.

    He said,” this is similar to our requirement to have travellers from UK isolate for seven days upon arrival in Nigeria.”

    Also Nigeria is awaiting the UK current listing of countries with approved vaccination.

    The France Government has donated 501,600 doses of AstraZenaca vaccines to Nigeria, adding that in the next two weeks 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer vaccines will arrive the country.

    So far at least 4,963,985 eligible persons across the country have being vaccinated with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

    The NPHCDA boss further disclosed that about 2,166,186 people have received their second doses of the vaccines. This means that approximately 1.9% of eligible populated is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

    He warned that only those who have taken their second dose are fully protected against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

    Meanwhile the agency has announced as a way of expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines and to ensure rapid and safe vaccines government has has made COVID-19 vaccines available in private facilities with the support of Government health officials.

    As we decentralize, private health facilities who meet the set criteria will be allocated COVID-19 vaccines, after due training of their immunization service providers, Shuaib explained

  • FG takes 2nd phase of COVID- 19 vaccination to Churches, Offices

    FG takes 2nd phase of COVID- 19 vaccination to Churches, Offices

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib has said that for the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination exercise is now at the door step of Churches and at all Federal Government offices to enable people get their vaccine jab.

    Shuaib disclosed this Tuesday at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel during the sensitization of Christian leaders on Phase 2 COVID-19 Vaccination and the Primary Health Care in Nigeria.

    He said, ” Your Eminence, the CAN President, distinguished Christian leaders, ladies and gentle men, l am glad to inform you that from this Phase 2 of the loop CO ID-19 vaccine roll out we have introduced Sunday Vaccination.”

    “This is to ensure members of the Christian community who may not have had access to the vaccine for whatever reason are given an opportunity to be vaccinated at their places of worship.”

    Dr. Shuaib commended the Christian leaders for their support to both the Federal Ministry of Health and the NPHCDA for the success of COVID-19 vaccination and especially the polio eradication exercise in the country particularly during the era of vaccines misinformation.

    He appreciated the Christian religious leaders whom he tagged worthy ambassadors who motived their followers through sermons and public pronouncement to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community.

    He admonished the public to access the currently ongoing COVID-19 vaccine roll out across adding the vaccine remains free, safe.

    Shuaib further enjoined eligible persons 18 and above to ensure to take their 2nd dose and the first dose for those who have not taken at all.

    In a like manner, the NPHCDA Executive Director informed Nigerians that the agency have made special arrangement for corporate vaccination for eligible staff of Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), Private/corporate organizations, including Faith-based organizations, their family members, dependents, and retirees to be vaccinated at their convenience.

    For those who have vaccinated at all he advised them to visit www.nphcda.gov.ng to access the registration portal.

    Furthermore Dr. Shuaib disclosed that the agency and NPCDA is collaborating monitor to mild to moderate reactions.

    This is normal with any vaccination, and we are working with NAFDAC to keep a close watch on all of those who have been vaccinated to any unlikely case of serious adverse effect, he said.