Last weekend, the National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) refuted a report that claims 70 percent of drugs in circulation in Nigeria are fake.
Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, NAFDAC’s Director of Special Duties, stated that the agency’s operations are professional and scientifically based. He further stated that the regulatory activities of the agency is based on surveys and reports rather than trading of accusations and allegations.
Dr. Jimoh quoting data obtained as far back as 2005, stated that NAFDAC and the World Health Organisation (WHO) carried out a joint baseline nationwide survey on counterfeit drugs in circulation, with the result estimated at 16.7 percent.
He said NAFDAC thereafter conducted another survey using a new device called True Scan (a mobile authentication device), which helped it to distinguish between fake and genuine drugs. The survey indicated that counterfeit drugs had reduced to 6.4 percent.
