Press Releases

Malaria Vaccine: Fashola Calls For National Collaborative Effort With Lagos

Jun 4, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday called for national collaborative effort with the State as it sets to work on developing a vaccine for malaria by gathering scientists and creating some funding for them

Governor Fashola who spoke when he received the Director General of the National Agency For Foods and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii at Lagos House, Ikeja added that if other countries have successfully eradicated malaria, it is not impossible for Nigeria to do same.

Governor Fashola said Lagos is charging itself to see it as a possibility that instead of treating malaria, it must put a stop to it by developing a vaccine which can be administered on people who get bitten by mosquitoes.

He also charged health authorities to consider doing more for people who produce fake drugs by assisting to promote them to produce original products.

Said he; “Have we done enough to assist to promote them to produce. How much are we investing in research in our universities for drugs. How much is NAFDAC investing out of its annual budget to promote research?”.

While condemning the activities of producers of fake drugs, Governor Fashola said it can be turned around positively by ensuring that local drugs are made very cheap as compared to imported ones thus creating a market which can be regularized.

While assuring the NAFDAC boss of cooperation in the task ahead, Governor Fashola said the state will not compromise or surrender its responsibilities, assuring that in cases where the state is unable to agree with the agency, it must be as a matter of law and principle.

He charged all concerned to do everything to ensure that the life expectancy of the average woman is raised beyond the very unsalutary figure of 50 recently quoted by a foreign agency.

The Lagos State Governor said when the damage, death, permanent disability that purveyors of fake drugs , foods and substances as well as regulated products to do to fellow human beings is considered, one would come to terms with the onerous responsibility that the statute has placed on the agency.

On a request for the provision of accommodation for NAFDAC officials in Lagos, Governor Fashola said the State does not have enough accommodation for its serving officers and wondered why a central government that has so many diverse agencies in different areas would rather sell public offices for private use when it has not adequately catered for its staffers.

On possible legislation against open display and marketing of drugs, Governor Fashola said the state is working with some professionals to look at the body of existing legislations and see whether they appropriately cover the ground and determine its application, saying officials of the agency would be invited to public hearing debates on such laws.

While agreeing with the policing of the borders, Governor Fashola added that access to prescription should be curtailed to only prescribed places in such a way that pharmacists would be in a position to authenticate the source of certain drugs.

In terms of prosecution of offenders of mobile drugs, the Governor said the state ministry of justice would examine the workability of federal laws being prosecuted by state agencies.

Speaking earlier, the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii had commended Governor Fashola for making his impact felt in all fields of human endeavour such as in empowering the security agencies, provision of good road network as well as the provision of BRT bus services to the people.

He also commended the overwhelming support of Lagos in the fight against fake drugs as well as its collaboration with NAFDAC and described the Governor as a shining example in the country.

The Director General of NAFDAC was accompanied on the visit by directors of the agency while the Commissioner for the Environment Dr Muiz Banire and the Special Adviser on Health, Hon Toyin Hamzat joined the Governor in receiving the NAFDAC team.