By Biola Lawal
Abuja (FLOWERBUDNEWS): The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has unveiled three landmark initiatives to effectively tackle maternal and child mortality in the country and also further mitigate substandard falsified medicines.
FLOWERBUDNEWS reports that the initiatives launched were Maternal Newborn Child Health and Nutrition (MNCH&N); NAFDAC Office for Women and Child Health (NOWCH) and National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027).
The Initiatives, which were conceived by NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, will generally advance public health, strengthen the well-being of Nigerians and safeguard the Health of Women and Children in Nigeria.
Speaking at the launch, Prof. Adeyeye, described the event as a defining moment in Nigeria’s collective effort to safeguard health and ensure access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical products and nutrition interventions.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasised that the three initiatives were interconnected pillars reflecting NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, especially women and children.
Through the Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), NAFDAC will promote safe motherhood, rational medicine use, and breastfeeding, while addressing challenges such as drug misuse and unsafe cosmetic products.
The office will also support local production of paediatric medicines and menstrual hygiene products through collaboration with government ministries, NGOs, and the private sector.
The MNCH+N Initiative will focus on tackling malnutrition and reducing maternal and child mortality by strengthening the regulation of nutrition commodities and enforcing breastfeeding-friendly policies. NAFDAC’s partnerships with @WHO, @UNICEF, and @GAINalliance will further enhance sustainable nutrition and health outcomes across the country.
In addition, the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products provides a coordinated framework for prevention, detection, and response to unsafe medicines in Nigeria. This plan will mobilise both national and international stakeholders to protect public health, strengthen supply chains, and foster accountability in the healthcare system.
Together, these initiatives reaffirm NAFDAC’s vision of a healthier Nigeria; one where no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is harmed by falsified medical products.
