Group petitions Adeosun over mounting demurrage on donor drugs

……30 donor drugs containers incurring demurrage of $9,450 each, per day

……Increases 300,000 deaths by malaria per year or 830 death per day in Nigeria.

The coalition of 16 organization under the aegis of the Country Coordinated Mechanism (CCM) Nigeria, comprising civil society, development partners, academia, MDAs and people living with HIV, TB and Malaria, have portioned the office of minister of finance, on the country’s increasing mortality rate, especially induced by failure to grant waivers to treatment tools,drugs given to Nigeria by foreign aid donors.

At the group’s recently concluded annual retreat in Lagos, chaired by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, members of CCSM called on the minister of finance to urgently consider the already requested waivers for the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for HIV/AIDS Drugs and Commodities; Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for malaria commodities; and Society for Family Health (SFH) for HIV and Malaria commodities.

In its post-meeting communique explained that the “ honorable minister of finance is endangering the lives of Nigerians by her refusal to process import duty waiver for drugs and health commodities donated by the global fund for the treatment of Nigerians suffering from HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.”

Excerpts of the request read: “The Honourable Minister of Finance to please reconsider issue a new IDEC to FHI360 whom IDEC Issued in September 2017, was addressed to Honourable Minister of Health. The Power of Attorney for transfer of ownership from FMOH to FHI 360 process has commenced but might pose further challenges during shipment.”

The group also called on the finance minister to create a dedicated Desk Officer for Health-related IDEC request for timely processing in the future, hinging it on the fact that about 60 per cent of the Global Fund Grants are spent on health commodities which most of which are imported. “Only drugs for opportunistic infection which are manufactured in Nigeria are bought in Nigeria,” it added.
The croup re-echoed that based on the inability to secure the donour drugs, danger has continued to loom for survival of Nigerians infected with HIV, TB and Malaria, adding that Since 13th November 2017, the arrived Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs) shipment 30X40 feet containers started incurring Terminal Storage and demurrage charges at USD 9,450/day per container.

“What a monumental loss to this country; and for each day it is delayed, poor women and children who sleep without nets got bitten by mosquitoes, get infected with malaria and some of the them die because they can’t afford the treatment cost for malaria,” CCSM said.
According to the group, the development remains unspeakable considering that malaria accounts for 60 per cent of outpatient visits to hospitals in Nigeria; and costs the poor Nigerians N300billion annually to treat themselves of malaria.

Malaria, the group said is a risk for 97 per cent of Nigeria’s population, including those living in IDP camps and inside Aso Rock Villa. There are an estimated 100 million malaria cases with over 300,000 deaths per year or 830 death per day in Nigeria. Malaria contributes to an estimated 11% of maternal mortality.

The Framework Agreement between Nigeria and The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, CCSM explained, was signed by Federal Ministry of Finance, adding that the agreement provides that the Federal Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, will grant import duty exemption waivers to all the donated health and non-health commodities/equipment donated by the Global Fund, as part of its investment in the health of Nigerians.
From 2002 till date, the Global Fund has committed $2bn in Nigeria saving lives from HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and strengthening Nigeria’s health system.

It explained that , under previous administrations, the organizations serving as Principal Recipients of the Global Fund grants, which include government parastatals such as the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), have received approval for waivers from the Ministry as at when due.

However, over the past two years, the delay experienced by some of the Principal Recipients in obtaining the IDEC waivers have constituted series of bottlenecks to the smooth implementation of the grants activities, ranging from stock-out of drugs and health commodities at the health facilities, risk of expiry because the commodities are nearing their shelf life even while still at the sea ports waiting for clearance, Terminal Storage and Demurrages on donated drugs and commodities.

The group regretted that a government, which allocates only 1 per cent of its budget to health (2018 Appropriation proposal), cannot grant simple waivers to drugs bought with other countries’ tax payers’ money for her people.

It said,“Meanwhile, we hear of waivers granted to big business men with connections in high places just to maximize their profit at the expense of our common wealth. This is sheer wickedness of the highest order against the poor by the rich and mighty in the high places and this must stop!”
The communique was signed by 16 organizations consisting of, Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, African Civil Society for Care and Support of TB Patients in Nigeria (ACT! Nigeria and Association of Civil Society against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ACSAN).

Also include, Association of Civil Society on Malaria and Immunization in Nigeria (ACOMIN), Association of Positive Youth in Nigeria (APYIN), Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (ASHWAN), Civil Society on Tuberculosis in Nigeria (TB Network) and the Civil Society Platform on Health.

Signatory to the statement included, Media Arts and Entertainment Network, Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Network of Religious Leaders against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NINERELA) and New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS).

The Nigeria Diversity Network (NDN), Nigerian Network of Youths against HIV/AIDS (NYNETHA), Society for Women and AIDS in Africa, Nigerian (SWAAN) and Treatment Action Movement (TAM) Initiative, also endorsed the statement.

Bonny Amadi