In a major stride towards improving public health, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has partnered with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to strengthen nutrition and health outcomes across Nigeria, particularly for women and children.
The collaboration was announced during the launch of three landmark initiative, the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative, the NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), and the National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023-2027).
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Speaking at the event, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described the launch as a defining moment in Nigeria’s collective effort to safeguard public health and ensure access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical products and nutrition interventions.
She noted that the partnership with global health organisations would reinforce Nigeria’s capacity to tackle malnutrition, reduce maternal and child mortality, and strengthen food and drug regulation systems.
Through the MNCH+N Initiative, NAFDAC aims to promote sustainable nutrition by enforcing breastfeeding-friendly policies and improving oversight of nutrition commodities.
The agency’s collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, and GAIN will also focus on developing locally produced, high-quality paediatric medicines and nutrition supplements to address gaps in child and maternal healthcare.
Complementing this effort, the Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH) will lead campaigns on safe motherhood, rational medicine use, and the dangers of unsafe cosmetic and drug practices.
The office will work with government ministries, NGOs, and the private sector to enhance access to safe health and nutrition products for women and children.
Meanwhile, the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023-2027) provides a framework for detecting and preventing unsafe medicines.
It seeks to mobilise both national and international stakeholders to strengthen supply chains, improve accountability, and protect the public from counterfeit and substandard medical products.
Prof. Adeyeye reaffirmed that the three initiatives collectively embody NAFDAC’s vision of a healthier Nigeria, one where no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is endangered by fake or substandard medicines.
