Federal Government launches Vaccine Policy, revised National Drug Policy

*The Federal Government of Nigeria says presentation of the revised edition of the National Drug Policy is designed to make available adequate supplies of drugs that are effective, affordable, safe, and of good quality to consumers, while stimulating increased local production of essential drugs

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

While addressing the identified lapses in the previous editions of the policy, the Nigerian Government has launched the first edition of the ‘Nigeria Vaccine Policy’ and the third edition of the ‘National Drug Policy’.

ConsumerConnect reports the first edition of the National Drug Policy was launched in 1990, whereas the second edition was launched in 2005.

Nevertheless, several expectations for sustainable healthcare development in the country, as contained in the past two editions were reportedly unrealised because of lack of political will by past governments and the absence of a well-structured monitoring system.

Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister for Health, in his during the activation of the fresh edition Thursday, September 30, 2021, said the revised edition must have taken care of those identified lapses.

The Minister said that the launch of this revised edition was done against the backdrop of the overall Health Sector Reform (HSR) Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health.

According to him, no matter how vibrant a health policy is, such a policy will be sterile without the availability of good quality and affordable medicine.

Dr. Ehanire further noted fortunately, the Federal Government of Nigeria has been paying special attention to the pharmaceutical subsector.

He stated: “The Presidential Forum on the Pharmaceutical Sector held in November 2003 underscored this special focus.

“Since that event, the government has taken a number of pragmatic steps towards boosting the local capacity for the manufacturing of essential medicines.

“This is to ensure that the local pharmaceutical industry becomes a major actor in providing good quality essential medicines for our health care programmes.

The Minister also said: “The 2005 Fiscal Policy is the most favourable ever, as far as the pharmaceutical sector is concerned.

“It provides very attractive incentives both to the existing players and prospective investors in the production of life-saving essential medicine.

“It is my earnest hope that the launch of the third edition of the National Drug Policy will further increase the vibrancy of the pharmaceutical sector for the overall improvement of people’s health.”

He added: “The goals of the National Drug Policy is to make available, at all times to the Nigerian populace, adequate supplies of drugs that are effective, affordable, safe and of good quality; to ensure the rational use of such drugs, and to stimulate increased local production of essential drugs.”

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