FG, experts call for boost in local production of pharmaceuticals, vaccines

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health sector gathered at the Kwara State Banquet Hall on Monday, April 28, to discuss strategies for boosting local production of medicines and vaccines.

Speaking at the National Harmonisation Conference on the theme, “Contextualising the Presidential Initiative to Achieve Local Production of Medicines and Vaccines in Nigeria”, organized by the Presidential Initiative on Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, the stakeholders harped on measures to identify actionable steps for enhancing local production of medicines and vaccines, and provide support in synthesising outcomes into policy and programme recommendations.

In her speech at the event, the Kwara commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic showcased a reality where the nation could not produce its own vaccines, saying that a situation where 100% of the country’s vaccines were sourced externally must change.

The commissioner, who said that the conference was not just timely but essential, identified some critical challenges currently militating against achieving self-sufficiency in local production of medicines and vaccines in Nigeria, stressing that unclear regulations across states deter investors.

She also said that there is a need to align and harmonize both national and state policy and standards through NAFDAC-State Ministry collaborations.

“Infrastructure challenges can be resolved by the development of regional pharmaceutical parks with PPP models and investment in renewable energy.

“The skilled labour pool needs to grow. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training for personnel is crucial.

Affordable capital is scarce, but manufacturers can leverage CBN’s Healthcare Sector Intervention Fund (HSIF) at single-digit rates and probable moratoriums.

The Health commissioner also said that the journey towards self-sufficiency in medicines and vaccines requires a concerted effort, adding that Kwara state is committed to the alignment.

One of the keynote speakers at the conference, Pharm. Abdulmalik Mohammed Baba, Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), called for urgent action to boost Nigeria’s local production of medicines.

He said that Africa carries 17% of the global disease burden, yet manufactures less than 1% of the medicines it consumes, adding that Nigeria, despite being the continent’s largest economy, “imports over 70% of its pharmaceutical products, expending billions of dollars annually and leaving healthcare system vulnerable to external shocks”.

He noted that the consequences of heavy reliance on imports are already being felt through chronic stockouts of essential medicines, elevated treatment costs for everyday Nigerians, and vulnerability to supply chain disruptions.

Another speaker, Oba Dr. David Oyerinola Adedunmoye, the Elerin of Adanla-Irese, emphasized that the healthcare sector is a critical component of a nation’s infrastructure, saying that a shift to local production will benefit the country’s growth in healthcare, economy, and access to health products.

“The country will not only grow economically but there will be reduced reliance on imports”, he stated.

Oba Adedunmoye also said; “Financing healthcare sectors is not for the government alone, adding that policies such as Primary Health Care (PHC) needed support from individuals, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Crowdfunding, and Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI), amongst others”.