The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has charged journalists on the need to join the regulatory body in the fight against drug hawking, artificial ripening of fruits in the country.
Adeyeye said this during a one-day sensitisation workshop for health journalists titled ‘Dangers of drug hawking, ripening of fruits with calcium carbide’, which held on Friday at the House of Chiefs, Oyo State secretariat, Ibadan.
In her keynote address, the NAFDAC boss, said, “Drug Hawking jeopardises our Healthcare Delivery System, exposing essential medicines to damaging weather conditions and leading to degraded efficacy. We must eradicate this illicit trade and protect human lives.
“Many drug hawkers peddle counterfeit, substandard, and expired drugs, endangering the health and safety of unsuspecting Nigerians. Prescription drugs should not be sold by unqualified individuals. Our national security is at stake.
“Fruit ripening with calcium carbide poses significant health risks. Consumption of such fruits may lead to cancer, organ failure, skin damage, and other serious health complications. Let’s be vigilant and choose natural ripened fruits for our well-being.
“Artificially ripened fruits lack the natural aroma, flavour, and nutritional benefits of naturally ripened ones. Identifying artificially ripened fruits is crucial – yellow fruits with dark stems and traces of powdery substances may indicate use of calcium carbide.”
Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research, NAFDAC; Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, disclosed that calcium carbide contains two toxic chemicals namely arsenic; and phosphorus, and when mixed with water, it produces acetylene gas, which is injurious to humans.
In her presentation, the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; Mrs. Eva Edwards, disclosed that the world has data of 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses, with 91 million of them recorded in Africa, which has led to 137,000 deaths. She also noted that over 200,000 Nigerians die annually from the consumption of unsafe foods.
The workshop had four sessions with presentations from Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research; Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; Mrs. Eva Edwards, a pharmacist with NAFDAC, Mr Afolabi, and Deputy Director, Public Affairs; Mrs. Christy Obiazikwor, who addressed the journalists on ‘Dangers of Artificially Ripening Fruits with Calcium Carbide’, ‘Food Safety Concerns: Unethical Practices’, ‘the Menace of Drug Hawking in Nigeria’, and the role of mass media in public health campaign respectively.
The workshop had in attendance health reporters from print and broadcast media across five states (Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo) of the southwest geopolitical zone.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then