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By Aderogba George

Abuja:  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has again cautioned Nigerians against the use of hand sanitizers especially Nutricional S, de R, L De C.V containing methanol.

The warning is contained in a public alert with No: 20/2021 tagged “Recall of Hand Sanitizers by DiBAR Nutricional due to the presence of Methanol(Wood alcohol).

The alert was signed by the Director General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

She said that the agency had received information from US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) about the presence of methanol in hand sanitizers.

She added that information from FDA noted that Nutricional S,de R,L De C.V (Dibar) is recalling all Dibar Labs hand sanitizers, ProtectoRX hand sanitizers and Advance hand sanitizers due to the presence of methanol.

According to her, methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested and can be life-threatening when ingested.

“Substantial methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.

“All persons using these products on their hands are at risk for methanol poisoning, young children who accidently ingest these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as alcohol (ethanol) substitute, are most at risk.

“Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxicity,” she stressed.

Adeyeye therefore called on consumers, who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol and are experiencing symptoms, to seek immediate treatment for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning.

According to her, the call is necessary at this time after the FDA analysis has found the product to contain methanol in lab testing.

Adeyeye stated that NAFDAC implores importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to exercise caution and vigilance to avoid the distribution, sale and use of methanol alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

She also called on healthcare providers and members of the public in possession of methanol alcohol-based hand sanitizers to discontinue sale and use or submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.

She said that healthcare professionals are encouraged to report any problem related to the use of any hand sanitizers to the nearest NAFDAC office, NAFDAC PRASCOR (20543 TOLL FREE from all networks).

According to her, Nigerians could also report any adverse effect through viapharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng or via e reporting platform available on NAFDAC websites www.nafdac.gov.ng as well as Med Safety application available for download on Android and IOS. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)/Flowerbudnews

By Flowerbud News

July 18, 2021

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has given reasons why it has yet to approve any herbal medicine for the treatment of COVID-19.

This is contained in a statement signed by the agency resident Media Consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, and issued to newsmen on Sunday, in Abuja.

The statement quoted Prof Moji Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director- General, as saying that “no single drug has been found yet to cure COVID -19”.

Adeyeye also warned Nigerians against excessive consumption of onions and garlic with a view to curing COVID-19, saying, ‘’If you eat too much your breath will be smelling and nobody will want to stay by you.”

She said that medicinal products available now could only help ease symptoms and up the odds of survival.

She warned Nigerian researchers and other herbal medicine practitioners to desist from parading unverified medicine for the virus.

She said that any product without NAFDAC approval for the cure of COVID-19 is null and void, adding that such an act was a violation of the national regulatory authorities and breach of protocols.

She admitted that onions or garlic or any of the natural fruits that we take have antioxidant and nutrients that can help us feel better, adding that people might have been using it and they get better.

“If it is not documented, it cannot be recognised by NAFDAC for COVID – 19. They work on our cells to keep people healthier, but not to cure COVID – 19. They help our body to function better. There is no cure for COVID -19 yet.

She added that they may boost the immunity and the person may not be easily susceptible to infection, adding that ‘’even with that, you still have to protect yourself.

“If you eat garlic and onion and you don’t use face mask you will get COVID -19. If you are in a bad environment; If you don’t wash your hands, you will get COVID -19.

“Everything has to be put together. University of Jos said that there was an herbal medicine, whether it is tea or whatever, that can cure COVID-19, they linked it with treatment of COVID -19, they did the packaging.

‘’We did a letter to warn them that they cannot claim something unless it has gone through our listing process. They were trying to sell it to their staff. That is violation of our own regulatory policies.

“Nobody should say that this one can cure this or that without going through NAFDAC listing process, the research into herbal medicine by the academia is normal.

‘’It is now for the academia to also recognise the national regulatory authority established to safeguard the safety of the Nigerian populace, by ensuring that the product that they are working on has to go through NAFDAC,” Adeyeye said.

According to her, there have been one or two cases where the University of Jos product was being encouraged to be used by people without going through NAFDAC.

She said that the university was supposed to go through the national regulatory authority and pave the way for NAFDAC to declare it safe for consumption.

The DG insisted that her agency must approve the clinical trial protocol, stressing that ‘’If they don’t do that and go ahead to market and sell their product, such act would be a violation of regulatory procedures.

According to her, some people might have been using it and they got better, but without being approved scientifically and documented, we may not be able to guarantee its safety for human consumption.

She recalled that NAFDAC set up an herbal medicine product committee in March 2019 before the pandemic broke out, to advance research in herbal medicine.

Adeyeye said that the goal for such idea was to make sure that the herbalist and the researcher were collaborating, so that whatever the herbalist knows from ancestral history that the research will back it up.

She explained further that collaboration with researcher would enable such herbal medicine to be advanced and to be listed by NAFDAC, if found safe for consumption.

According to her, during the pandemic there were lots of assertions that there were herbal medicines, that could be used to treat symptoms of COVID -19, pointing out that there was no single medicine that has been identified yet.

“But there are herbal medicines that could alleviate symptoms of COVID -19. However, NAFDAC has not granted registration of approval for any medicine for that.

“NAFDAC approves such medicines for listing, it means that it’s been tested and was deemed safe to use. NAFDAC cannot say herbal medicine can treat COVID -19, until clinical trial is done.

“Right now, there is no single herbal medicine that has gone through full clinical trial the way clinical trial is supposed to be done,” she said.

According to her, to do official clinical trial, you must write a protocol, you must pass it through the National Health Research Ethical Committee (NHREC), and you must pass it through NAFDAC.”

She said that the agency has not given any pass mark as regards COVID-19 herbal medicine, but that the agency has approved some herbal medicines that they claim can alleviate some of the symptoms of COVID -19.

She said that some of the approved herbal medicine which they claim can alleviate COVID-19 symptoms only work as immune boosters.

Adeyeye pointed out that such herbal medicine may prevent one from getting the disease, adding that, as far as NAFDAC was concerned, it has not approved any medicine to treat COVID -19.

“We have approved medicines that they said can alleviate symptoms and relieve people of some symptoms of COVID – 19, when the product is listed then clinical trial may start.

“It takes a lot of money to do clinical trial. University of Jos has been given approval to commence clinical trial of their products which is yet to commence.

The DG further disclosed that many herbal products have been submitted for federal government grants, because most of the herbal practitioners lack the required wherewithal to do clinical trial.

She said that many of these herbal products were being subjected to review by different agencies of government in the country.

“In terms of going through clinical trial and official protocols, none has come through yet.”

According to her, such herbal products can be used during the clinical trial to investigate whether it could be effective for COVID -19.

NAN

By Aderogba George

Abuja, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has said that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were too critical a sector to be ignored.

A statement signed by the Agency’s resident media consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, and issued to newsmen on Sunday, in Abuja, quoted Adeyeye as reiterating the important role MSMEs played in the nation ‘s economy, pledging that the agency would continue to render its support to enable them continue to act as catalysts to economic rejuvenation.

The Director General (DG) said that globally MSMEs had contributed up to 45 per cent of total employment and 33 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in emerging economies.

“In a recent review of a 2017 survey on MSMEs, it is revealed that in Nigeria, there were 41.4 million MSMEs and about 99 per cent belong to the micro sub-sector, which is the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialization.

“This is the most important component of industrialisation as set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the federal government, the significance of MSMEs in the nation’s economy is critical.

Adeyeye urged entrepreneurs to be patient in obtaining NAFDAC’s certification before exporting goods, especially in the light of the revamped relationship between them and the agency in recent times.

“NAFDAC’s timeline for the processing of products for registration is 90 days and there is consistent efforts to ensure timelines are met, amongst which are the deployment of a robust e-registration platform.

“The e-registration platform is called NAFDAC Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS), which has the capacity for monitoring and assessment of timelines,” Adeyeye said.

She explained that If anybody went online to start the e-registration process  and encountered any challenge, “there is an online assistant that is always ready help in case of any challenge during the registration”.

Some people who have products that they think they can export, take shortcuts and they don’t also go to NAFDAC to test their products before they are exported.

“Thereafter, the government of the receiving country stops the product, and they reject it and destroy it, we all need to learn not to take shortcuts.

“This agency will not compromise global best practices and standard under the guise of placating its clients, who have refused to follow due process to get the required identification certification”, the NAFDAC DG said.

Adeyeye encouraged entrepreneurs to always wait for a duration of four and a half months to get their products registered.

She added that some of the compliance issues that were frequently observed ranged from labelling lapses, inadequate documentation, increased product analysis failure rate and product rejects, especially with highly sensitive products.

However, the NAFDAC DG observed that the ongoing trainings and re-trainings of prospective NAFDAC applicants/MSMEs entrepreneurs on principles of good agricultural practices and others were yielding the desired reduction of such failures.

On the granting of approval for MSME production sites, the NAFDAC boss said that if a site designated for manufacturing and packaging was found to be filthy for the prospective product, NAFDAC would not approve such site.

She, therefore, admonished MSMEs owners to always ensure that they complied with all relevant government policies and regulations; collaborate more amongst themselves, to jointly engage government constructively.

Adeyeye noted that if there was a sector that had got the most needed support from NAFDAC, “it is the MSMEs, with the reduction in the registration fee by 80 per cent within six months in the year 2020.”

The first 200 applicants received zero registration fee, she said, adding that the agency also waived late renewal fees for those whose NAFDAC registration licenses expired during the same period.

According to her, the palliative given to the MSME sector in 2020 was not given to any other sector, because of its importance to the nation’s economy.

“The COVID pandemic might have slowed down some people who might have wanted to register. But, six months out of the nine months of the pandemic in 2020 was devoted to rendering help to the MSMEs”, Adeyeye said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng) Flowerbudnews

By Aderogba George

Abuja,   The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has given reasons why it has yet to approve any herbal medicine for the treatment of COVID-19.

This is contained in a statement signed by the agency resident Media Consultant, Mr Olusayo Akintola, and issued to newsmen on Sunday, in Abuja.

The statement quoted Prof Moji Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director- General, as saying that “no single drug has been found yet to cure COVID -19”.

Adeyeye also warned Nigerians against excessive consumption of onions and garlic with a view to curing COVID-19, saying, ‘’If you eat too much your breath will be smelling and nobody will want to stay by you.”

She said that medicinal products available now could only help ease symptoms and up the odds of survival.

She warned Nigerian researchers and other herbal medicine practitioners to desist from parading unverified medicine for the virus.

She said that any product without NAFDAC approval for the cure of COVID-19 is null and void, adding that such an act was a violation of the national regulatory authorities and breach of protocols.

She admitted that onions or garlic or any of the natural fruits that we take have antioxidant and nutrients that can help us feel better, adding that people might have been using it and they get better.

“If it is not documented, it cannot be recognised by NAFDAC for COVID – 19. They work on our cells to keep people healthier, but not to cure COVID – 19. They help our body to function better. There is no cure for COVID -19 yet.

She added that they may boost the immunity and the person may not be easily susceptible to infection, adding that ‘’even with that, you still have to protect yourself.

“If you eat garlic and onion and you don’t use face mask you will get COVID -19. If you are in a bad environment; If you don’t wash your hands, you will get COVID -19.

“Everything has to be put together. University of Jos said that there was an herbal medicine, whether it is tea or whatever, that can cure COVID-19, they linked it with treatment of COVID -19, they did the packaging.

‘’We did a letter to warn them that they cannot claim something unless it has gone through our listing process. They were trying to sell it to their staff. That is violation of our own regulatory policies.

“Nobody should say that this one can cure this or that without going through NAFDAC listing process, the research into herbal medicine by the academia is normal.

‘’It is now for the academia to also recognise the national regulatory authority established to safeguard the safety of the Nigerian populace, by ensuring that the product that they are working on has to go through NAFDAC,” Adeyeye said.

According to her, there have been one or two cases where the University of Jos product was being encouraged to be used by people without going through NAFDAC.

She said that the university was supposed to go through the national regulatory authority and pave the way for NAFDAC to declare it safe for consumption.

The DG insisted that her agency must approve the clinical trial protocol, stressing that ‘’If they don’t do that and go ahead to market and sell their product, such act would be a violation of regulatory procedures.

According to her, some people might have been using it and they got better, but without being approved scientifically and documented, we may not be able to guarantee its safety for human consumption.

She recalled that NAFDAC set up an herbal medicine product committee in March 2019 before the pandemic broke out, to advance research in herbal medicine.

Adeyeye said that the goal for such idea was to make sure that the herbalist and the researcher were collaborating, so that whatever the herbalist knows from ancestral history that the research will back it up.

She explained further that collaboration with researcher would enable such herbal medicine to be advanced and to be listed by NAFDAC, if found safe for consumption.

According to her, during the pandemic there were lots of assertions that there were herbal medicines, that could be used to treat symptoms of COVID -19, pointing out that there was no single medicine that has been identified yet.

“But there are herbal medicines that could alleviate symptoms of COVID -19. However, NAFDAC has not granted registration of approval for any medicine for that.

“NAFDAC approves such medicines for listing, it means that it’s been tested and was deemed safe to use. NAFDAC cannot say herbal medicine can treat COVID -19, until clinical trial is done.

“Right now, there is no single herbal medicine that has gone through full clinical trial the way clinical trial is supposed to be done,” she said.

According to her, to do official clinical trial, you must write a protocol, you must pass it through the National Health Research Ethical Committee (NHREC), and you must pass it through NAFDAC.”

She said that the agency has not given any pass mark as regards COVID-19 herbal medicine, but that the agency has approved some herbal medicines that they claim can alleviate some of the symptoms of COVID -19.

She said that some of the approved herbal medicine which they claim can alleviate COVID-19 symptoms only work as immune boosters.

Adeyeye pointed out that such herbal medicine may prevent one from getting the disease, adding that, as far as NAFDAC was concerned, it has not approved any medicine to treat COVID -19.

“We have approved medicines that they said can alleviate symptoms and relieve people of some symptoms of COVID – 19, when the product is listed then clinical trial may start.

“It takes a lot of money to do clinical trial. University of Jos has been given approval to commence clinical trial of their products which is yet to commence.

The DG further disclosed that many herbal products have been submitted for federal government grants, because most of the herbal practitioners lack the required wherewithal to do clinical trial.

She said that many of these herbal products were being subjected to review by different agencies of government in the country.

“In terms of going through clinical trial and official protocols, none has come through yet.”

According to her, such herbal products can be used during the clinical trial to investigate whether it could be effective for COVID -19. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)/Flowerbudnews

By Flowerbud News

Aug 4, 2021

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Kaduna has advised nursing and lactating mothers to place their babies  below age five on exclusive breastfeeding.

The Kaduna State Coordinator of the agency, Mr Nasiru Mato, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kaduna, that exclusive breastfeeding would prepare such children for a healthy living.

Mato also urged nursing mothers’ strict compliance to marketing Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) to aid infant’s nutrition.

He said that this would protect infants and young children’s feeding through promotion, protection and support for exclusive breastfeeding.

He described breast milk as natural and God-given food that is full of nourishment for babies and a balanced diet for optimum healthy growth for infants.

He said that exclusive breastfeeding used to begin within the first one hour after delivery by a pregnant woman and was expected to continue uninterrupted for the first six months.

He said that research had also proven that breastfeeding used to help eradicate development of breast tumor in a lactating mother.

“This year’s theme for the breastfeeding week celebration calls for an all-round support and encouragement of exclusive breastfeeding for greater outcomes.

“Marketers of Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) must ensure that they play the game by the rule so as not to violate the Code of BMS as this will attract serious sanction from NAFDAC.

“NAFDAC will continue to sensitise, enlighten and monitor lactating mothers on exclusive breastfeeding so that they will do it right for them to get it right.

“We must pull all our strengths together in this feat for optimal results,”Mato said.

He urged healthcare providers, medical professionals as well as traditional institutions at all levels to continue to support NAFDAC through robust collaboration in order to achieve the desired results.

Mato also applauded the Kaduna State Government for giving priority and importance to child nutrition.

NAN

By Flowerbud News

July 30, 2021

By Aderogba George

Abuja, The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Wednesday unveiled documents to support compliance to breastfeeding code implementation and Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) regulations in the country.

The unveiling ceremony was done in Abuja at the 40th Anniversary of the International Code of marketing of the BMS in Nigeria with the theme “Implementing the BMS Code in Nigeria: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities”.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said that the BMS Code was an international health policy framework for breastfeeding protection and promotion adopted by the 3rd and 4th of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1981.

Represented by her Special Assistant, Mr Gbenga Fajemirokun, the director general said that the Code was developed as a public health strategy.

She added that it was aimed at contributing to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants by protecting and promoting breastfeeding and to ensure proper use of breast-milk substitutes only when they were necessary.

Adeyeye said that the code was to protect mothers from aggressive marketing of breast-milk substitutes.

She further said that the code was also to ensure safe feeding and better nutrition for infants and young children as the provision of the code recommended restrictions on marketing of BMS.

She added that “Nigeria, a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) voted for code adoption in 1981 and is expected to implement all its provisions in the entirety as a minimum requirement and to translate it into national legislation, regulations and other suitable measures.

“As a country, Nigeria takes her international and national obligations very serious which is why the provisions of CAP M5 Marketing BMS Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as amended by Decree 22 of  1999.

“This Act designated NAFDAC as the regulatory agency to implement, monitor and enforce the code in Nigeria.

“It is our collective desire as NAFDAC, the agency designated to implement and enforce this code compliance in Nigeria, to work collaboratively with all stakeholders and partners.

“To contribute to achieving safe and adequate nutrition for our infants through protection and promotion of breastfeeding.”

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said that the ministry remained committed to improve survival of children, especially the ones under the age of five-year and maternal child care through various policies that would promote healthy living.

Represented by Dr Anas Kolo, the Director of Family Health in the ministry, said that the ministry had gone ahead to promote baby friendly hospital initiative.

Ehanire maintained that the ministry would continue to promote exclusive breastfeeding and other initiatives in the same direction.

The minister, therefore, encouraged mothers to continue to breastfeed their babies in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that support mechanisms were on the way to encourage mothers.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said that discussions were on at the

National Assembly to permit mothers to embark on six months maternity leave after delivery.

He added that this would also support exclusive breastfeeding.

Oloriegbe noted that Nigeria had not achieved its target as far as exclusive breastfeeding was concerned, adding that the environment had not been friendly to achieve that.

“We must promote friendly environment for this initiative, a lot must be done to encourage this to meet our target,” he said.

Mr Sheriff Olagunju, the NAFDAC Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said the implementation of BMS Code had earned the country improved rating in the 2020 International Code Status Report.

He added that NAFDAC would not rest on its oars to continue to enforce the code.

“The BMS Code spelt out roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in ensuring that breastfeeding is promoted, supported, and protected by implementing the provisions of the BMS Code and subsequent relevant WHA resolutions in its entirety.

“These stakeholders include but not limited to the government, policy makers, healthcare workers, healthcare system, the media, mothers and their families, development partners, Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations.

“The importance of breastfeeding is also evident in its significantly positive impact on our planet.

“This is because breast-milk is a natural and renewable food which requires no preparation, no packaging, no storage and no transportation.

“The earth benefits when women are encouraged to breastfeed their infants and young children, therefore, the enabling environment must be created by the society at large for this to happen,” Olagunju said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)/ Flowerbudnews