Faduyile urges govt to invest in medical education to transform healthcare

The Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) has called for a commitment to Nigerian-made herbal medicines, urging Nigerians to reduce their dependence on imported traditional medicines from China and India.

This call was made at the weekend during the AB Pharmaceuticals Business Summit organised by ABUAD, in collaboration with pharmaceutical marketers.

However, no fewer than three pharmaceutical products of the university, including AB Mal, ABUAD Virucidine, and AB Health Animation 250mg, were unveiled as part of efforts to expand the reach of the university’s products.

The university said Nigeria’s continued reliance on foreign herbal products amounted to a form of economic and medical dependence that must be urgently addressed.

MEANWHILE, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Prof. Francis Faduyile, has called for deliberate investment in medical education to transform the healthcare system.

He stated this during the ninth Felix Dosekun Memorial Lecture organised by the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), which formed part of activities marking the College’s Week, adding that the nation’s ambition to provide accessible and affordable healthcare depends on the competence and capabilities of health professionals.

ABUAD said that Nigeria must develop confidence in locally produced medicines, strengthen scientific research into traditional remedies and establish effective marketing strategies to make Nigerian products competitive in the domestic market.

Deputy Director of AB Pharmaceutical Services, Afolabi Oluwatoyin, said the initiative was driven by ABUAD founder’s vision of ensuring that Nigerians could increasingly rely on medicines developed and produced within the country.

In her welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, emphasised the need to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported pharmaceutical products.

She said the country needs to create an ecosystem in which the university, industry, regulators, healthcare professionals, investors and consumers could work together to move promising innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace.

In his response, the Chairman of theAssociation of Pharmaceutical Products Marketers of Nigeria (APPMAN), Ekiti State chapter, Peter Ajayi, hailed Afe Babalola for his exemplary vision in all fields, saying the association will do everything within its power to ensure the products reach prospective individuals.

On his part, CMUL Provost, Prof. Ademola Oremosu, stressed the need for medical schools to continually review their training programmes to address emerging diseases, non-communicable illnesses, maternal and child health concerns, and persistent weaknesses in primary healthcare.

Also, former President of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Prof. Akin Osibogun, lauded the institution for contributing to medical training and the development of professionals who have served in different capacities.

Chairman of publicity for the event, Prof. Udoka Okafor, also advocated greater investment in medical education and healthcare infrastructure.