By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
NAFDAC has launched three landmark initiatives to advance public health and strengthen the well-being of Nigerians, particularly women and children. The initiatives are:
- Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative
- NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH)
- National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027).
Speaking at the launch, the Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye described the event as a defining moment in Nigeria’s collective effort to safeguard health and ensure access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical products and nutrition interventions. She emphasised that the three initiatives are interconnected pillars reflecting NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, especially women and children.
Through the Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), NAFDAC will promote safe motherhood, rational medicine use, and breastfeeding while addressing challenges such as drug misuse and unsafe cosmetic products. The office will also support local production of paediatric medicines and menstrual hygiene products through collaboration with government ministries, NGOs, and the private sector.
The MNCH+N Initiative will focus on tackling malnutrition and reducing maternal and child mortality by strengthening the regulation of nutrition commodities and enforcing breastfeeding-friendly policies.
NAFDAC’s partnerships with WHO, UNICEF, and GAIN will further enhance sustainable nutrition and health outcomes across the country.
In addition, the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products provides a coordinated framework for prevention, detection, and response to unsafe medicines in Nigeria. This plan will mobilise both national and international stakeholders to protect public health, strengthen supply chains, and foster accountability in the healthcare system.
Together, these initiatives reaffirm NAFDAC’s vision of a healthier Nigeria; one where no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is harmed by falsified medical products.
