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LAGOS – As the World Health Organisation (WHO) pre-qualifies one of Swiss Pharma (SWIPHA) Nigeria Limited’s products, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has lauded the pharmaceutical company for setting the pace in West Africa.
On May 2, 2023, the WHO Prequalification Unit added a Pediatric Zinc Sulphate tablet (20mg dispersible tablet) manufactured by SWIPHA to its list of prequalified medicines.
Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, gave the commendation on Tuesday in Lagos while addressing the press on the breakthrough, while noting that the feat an outcome of meaningful collaboration between the Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited and NAFDAC, as well as a systematic implementation of policies by the Agency.
She noted that with this achievement, SWIPHA has added another first to its arsenal of firsts. Being the first manufacturer to be recognized by the WHO as operating at an acceptable level of compliance to GMP requirements in West Africa, she added that the manufacturer has now become the first manufacturer of finished pharmaceutical products to attain prequalification of its product in the West Africa Sub-region.
While noting that several attempts in the past to get a pre-qualification received a number of non-conformance observations from the WHO, Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC personnel provided immense technical support during the palatability studies for the now prequalified product, GMP reassessment of the manufacturers’ facility prior to the site inspection by the prequalification inspection team of the WHO, and review of Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) taken to address the observed non-conformances.
“This commendable attainment without an iota of doubt has reinforced our conviction that with the right attitude, collaboration, and synergy, Nigeria Pharma Industries can become a force to reckon with in Sub-Sahara Africa and the comity of nations,” she said.
The WHO Prequalification of Medicines Programme (PQP) helps ensure that medicines supplied by procurement agencies meet acceptable standards of quality, safety, and efficacy.
WHO Prequalification is the fundamental prerequisite for quality assurance of key medical products to be purchased by UN agencies, and international organizations like Global Funds and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to procure and distribute products locally and globally.
Chioma Umeha is a Health and Science Writer/Editor with Independent Newspapers Limited. She holds a M.A. degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from Lagos State University, B.Sc. degree in Mass Communication from Enugu State University of Science and Technology. She is a multiple award winning journalist and has attended several local and international workshops/trainings. She is a member of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Science and Public Health (SciPH) Journalism Group, Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, Journalists’ Alliance for PMTCT in Nigeria, Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) among others. On the religious circle, Umeha is a Sunday School Teacher and a Counsellor. She is happily married to Don Umeha and blessed with three lovely children.
Source: Independent.ng | Read More
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