WHO pledges to strengthen NAFDAC, NCDC laboratories for optimal performance

The World Health Organisation (WHO), has pledged to support the ongoing effort of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in getting its laboratory WHO prequalified for essential medicines.

WHO said this would be done through technical support to the agency and capacity building for its staff for effective laboratory management.

Also, the world health body assured that it would continue to support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC) laboratory for yellow fever and measles in order to become one of its regional reference laboratories and to also improve on early confirmation of disease in the country.

Speaking after his visit to the laboratories of the two federal government’s health agencies in Yaba, Lagos on Tuesday, WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Wondimagegnchu Alemu, promised both agencies of WHO’s support in addressing areas of gaps in their operation.

For NAFDAC, Alemu, said: “The missing gaps will be addressed. What I have seen is qualified and well determined staff. WHO has been closely working with NAFDAC to build the capacity of its staff; monitoring of medicines, instituting quality control measures and ensuring post marketing standard procedures are followed. We will continue to work on these areas of collaboration and explore other areas where WHO can add value to the work of NAFDAC.”

Alemu expressed optimism that going by effort of the DG of NAFDAC, the agency’s laboratory might get WHO prequalification before the end of the year.

On NCDC, the WHO Country Representative, said the world health body was ready to work with it in providing diagnostic services for diseases of public health importance in the country, adding that making NCDC’s laboratories reference laboratories will cut down the time spent on transporting samples, getting processing and results from other regional laboratories.

He said: “Lab is one area that we know is very critical when we talk about disease surveillance and without capacity in-country and very good quality resource in terms of getting the right reagents, we may not protect the lives of citizens.

So we believe that surveillance with capacity to confirm is a good mix. So, it is one area we would like to continue supporting and which we are currently supporting.”

Responding, Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, assured of the agency’s determination to replace all faulty equipment in its laboratories to enable the staff cope with volume of works coming from the 36 states of the federation and FCT.

Adeyeye urged WHO to continue to provide support to the agency, especially in assisting Yaba Laboratory to meet WHO prequalification.

In her remarks, Deputy Director in NCDC , Mrs. Olajumoke Babatunde, commended the effort of WHO to the centre, stressing that WHO has been of tremendous help to the country in containing the spread of diseases.