Nigerians At  Risk As 70% Of  Drugs Dispensed In Country Substandard

The life of Nigerians may be at risk as the  National Primary Healthcare Development Agency(NPHCDA) disclosed that  70 per cent of medical drugs being dispensed in Nigeria were substandard.

Substandard  drugs  are authorized medical products that fail to meet either their quality standards or specifications, or both.

The agency said this is just one  among several challenges  the country’s health sector was facing.

Ahead of the Primary Healthcare Summit tagged: ‘Re-imaging Primary Health Care in Nigeria’ , NPHCDA  confirmed that majority of Nigerians do not have access to health services.

“Today, only approximately 43% of Nigerians have access to quality primary healthcare services with only about 4 doctors available per 10,000 people, a fraction of the minimum rate recommended by the UN for basic health coverage.

“20 per cent of all maternal deaths globally occur in Nigeria; infant mortality occurs at a rate of 19 deaths per 1,000 births; children under five are dying at a rate of 128 per 1,000; over 70 per cent of medical drugs dispensed in Nigeria are substandard.

“The weaknesses of the PHC system led to the under-utilisation of the PHC, resulting in significant burden within the health sector, with patients over-lying on tertiary and secondary health care services

Meanwhile  the World Health Organisation said an estimated 1 in 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries is substandard which may lead to poisoning, untreated disease, early death, and treatment failure.

“Substandard medical products are often produced in very poor and unhygienic conditions by unqualified personnel, and contain unknown impurities and are sometimes contaminated with bacteria.”