By Ojoma Akor
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched three health and regulatory initiatives geared towards advancing the health of Nigerians.
The initiatives are:
– Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative.
-NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health.
-National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027).
Speaking during the launch of the initiatives in Abuja, the Director -General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the three initiatives were designed to strengthen national health systems and safeguard the well-being of Nigerians.
She said, “Today marks a defining moment in our collective effort to advance public health through the launch of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health + Nutrition (MNCH+N) Initiative, the NAFDAC Office of Women and Children’s Health (NOWCH), and the National Action Plan on Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products (2023–2027). These initiatives are not isolated projects.”
She said they were interconnected pillars that reflect NAFDAC’s unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable people, especially women and children, while ensuring that every medical product and nutrition intervention in Nigeria is safe, effective, and of assured quality.
She said, “Through the Office of Women and Children’s Health, NAFDAC seeks to champion safe motherhood, promote rational medicine use, encourage breastfeeding, and combat harmful practices such as drug misuse and unsafe cosmetics. It also aims to support the local production of paediatric medicines and menstrual hygiene products, in close collaboration with ministries, NGOs, and private sector partners.
“The MNCH+N Initiative extends this vision by addressing the critical challenges of malnutrition and maternal and child mortality. By regulating life-saving nutrition commodities and enforcing breastfeeding-friendly policies. NAFDAC is ensuring that our children grow healthier and stronger. Partnerships with WHO, UNICEF, and GAIN continue to reinforce these regulatory and production systems for sustainable impact.”
She also said the National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products provides a coordinated framework to protect citizens from unsafe medicines. Through prevention, detection, and response mechanisms, this plan mobilises national and international stakeholders to build a resilient supply chain and promote accountability across the healthcare ecosystem.
She further said these combined efforts reflect NAFDAC’s leadership and vision, where no mother dies from preventable causes, no child suffers from malnutrition, and no patient is harmed by falsified medical products.
“Together, let us continue to support NAFDAC in advancing a future where access to safe medicines, adequate nutrition, and quality healthcare is not a privilege, but a right for every Nigerian,” she added.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said recent data from 172 local government areas show a 17 percent decline in maternal mortality and a 10 percent reduction in newborn deaths over the past two years.
He said the MNCH+N Initiative would contribute to improving maternal and child survival because families would have access to quality products when they needed them.
The minister said substandard medicines fuel antimicrobial resistance, undermine public confidence, and cost lives.
He applauded the launch of the National Action Plan on the Prevention, Detection, and Response to Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, saying it is crucial to safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Regina Akume, Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on NAFDAC, said the renewed focus is both timely and essential, adding that it reinforces national commitment to safeguarding mothers and children, ensuring that every pregnancy is safe, every child is healthy, and every family can thrive.
Rodio Diallo of the Gates Foundation said, “Each year, Nigeria loses thousands of women to pregnancy-related causes. Behind these figures are families and communities irreversibly changed by preventable losses. Every medicine that reaches a mother’s hand should heal, protect, and save.
“Safeguarding the quality, safety, and efficacy of maternal and newborn health commodities is synonymous with safeguarding lives.”
