The Federal Government has called on all stakeholders in the pharmaceutical Industry to join hands with the government so as to actualise the Ministerial Agenda for prioritisation that will increase access to safe and high-quality healthcare in the country.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate made the call on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the ongoing 97th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), holding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Prof. Pate, who was the keynote speaker at the conference was ably represented by the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Dr Obi Peter Adigwe. The theme of the conference is “Transforming Pharmaceutical Innovation to Facilitate Equitable Healthcare in Emerging Economy”.
The minister explained that medicine security in the country has been prioritised than ever before, noting that the industry has already been positioned for exponential growth that will no doubt translate to increased access to medicines for Nigerians, as well as socio-economic development in various sectors within and outside the Country.
He noted that the current administration, through the ministry of health has come up with various initiatives and interventions that will enhance medicine security and generally repositioned the nation’s health sector.
Prof. Pate further stated that the ministry came up with thematic pillars which are four areas of priorities, which are governance, population health outcomes, unlocking the healthcare value chain and health security.
According to him, only one of the four areas has been explored and it has brought about many innovations and intervention among which was the presidential executive orders that was recently gazetted by the Federal Government to increase local production of healthcare products and as well reduce cost of healthcare equipment and consumables among others.
He stated that the government is also planning clinical trial centres across the country, adding that the €18 million research on vaccines to be funded by the European Union (EU) is part of the initiatives and intervention to transform the nation’s health sector, adding that more of such intervention will still come.
Recalled that the National Plan for Vaccine Research and Development and Local Production 2024-2034 was presented in Abuja early this year. According to the minister, Medicines’ security is a concept that argues that unless a people exert sufficient control over how their medicines are produced, sustainable access to relevant, affordable, high quality products cannot be guaranteed in that setting.
He specifically noted that the ratio of medicine manufacturers to the nation’s population is currently far from what it ought to be. According to him, there are 170 pharma manufacturers in Nigeria with a population of 0.21 billon, which gives a ratio of 1 pharma manufacturer to 1, 300,000 people, compared to India that has 1.311 billion population and 5000 pharma manufacturers, with a ratio of 1 pharma manufacturer to 260,000 people. He stated that the ministry of health is working vigorously to ensure that the country achieves medicine security, adding that several initiatives and interventions are on the way.
While noting that there is need for more local pharma manufacturers in Nigeria, Prof. Pate said “the Nigerian pharma sector is suitably positioned for exponential growth which will no doubt translate to increased access to medicines for Nigerians, as well as socio economic development in various sectors within and outside the Country.
“All players in the industry must now join hands to actualise the Ministerial Agenda for prioritisation that will increase access to safe and high-quality healthcare. This is the most sustainable approach to achieve medicines’ security whilst also improving the nation’s economy and our people’s livelihood”.
He specifically called on all players in the pharmaceutical industry to work together and develop capacity in the industry. “We need to develop and expand capacity to absorb the space we are creating for the pharmaceutical industry, because if we don’t develop and expand capacity, it is players from other countries that will benefit it”, the minister said.
