Ebola: NAFDAC begins check on fake sanitizers nationwide

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has begun a nationwide check on fake and unregistered sanitisers and other related products in the country.

The Agency’s Director of Special Duties, Mr Abubakar Jimoh, disclosed this in an interview with NAN in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that the exercise would also involve a check on the activities of persons with claims of a cure for the Ebola disease.

The director said the Agency was aware of the activities of counterfeiters and claimants who had taken advantage of the Ebola outbreak to sell fake products and to mislead Nigerians.

Jimoh added that the director-general of the Agency had directed all its enforcement officers nationwide to be more vigilant and to check the circulation of fake products and equipment related to Ebola prevention.

“We are conscious of the fact that counterfeiters thrive when there is high demand for any regulated product. They do a lot of study and take advantage of the desperation of the people in times of emergency like we have with Ebola.

“So, NAFDAC as a regulatory agency has not folded its arms, we know their methodology, we already know the nuances of counterfeiters.

“The NAFDAC boss directed all NAFDAC formations all over the country to be vigilant and to watch out for fake hand sanitisers and also claimants, because this is the time for people to come up with fictitious claims either for cure or prevention of Ebola.”

He said that the Agency’s officers at all entry points into the country had been mandated to step up their watch on health products coming into the country.

Jimoh said NAFDAC was also worried about the distribution of unevaluated screening gadgets by some individuals but noted that its officials were in the field to arrest the situation.

“At the border, our port inspectorate directorate has been directed to redouble their efforts to ensure that some of the unregistered products are not smuggled into the country.

“We have also alerted the public on the possible sale of unevaluated and unregistered Ebola test kits to the public. We have alerted health workers and hospital authorities to watch out for the this particular product,” he said.

Jimoh urged Nigerians to be careful with the products they purchase, stressing that NAFDAC registration numbers could be faked by counterfeiters to sell their products.

He said NAFDAC would soon publish a list of registered and approved hand sanitisers and other kits in order to guide Nigerians on what choices to make.

Jimoh said the effort of the Agency was aimed at assisting other stakeholders to end the scourge of Ebola in Nigeria.