Abuse of antibiotics may lead to death, NAFDAC warns

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised the alarm over the growing indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

It said the situation has further accelerated Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), resulting in avoidable deaths.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the warning at the virtual 2021 World Antimicrobial Resistance Week (WAAW) themed, ‘Spread Awareness Stop Resistance’.

She said the war against AMR has not only gained global attention but also become a battle the human race must win.

In a statement in Lagos, yesterday, NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, quoted Adeyeye as saying: “I am delighted to be part of this battle and welcome all our esteemed stakeholders to the frontline. Creating awareness amid us all is a major step in AMR stewardship by relevant stakeholders to effectively stop resistance.”

According to her, NAFDAC is using the stakeholders’ meeting, to mark its participation in the 2021 WAAW, targeting professionals in the healthcare sector, veterinarians, animal husbandry professionals, plant pathologists and individuals that use antimicrobial agents.

AMR is the ability of a pathogenic microorganism to resist the effect of antimicrobial agents when used to treat internal or external infections in human and animal populations.

The NAFDAC boss said the fight against AMR requires collective efforts that are interlinked along with the One-Health Concept. To this end, she said NAFDAC, in its regulatory activities, has put in place regulatory measures to curb the spread of AMR.

“It is very necessary and extremely important to ensure food safety and food security, a safe environment, and healthy citizens in our dear country,” she said, noting that everyone in the healthcare, livestock production and environmental management sub-sectors of the economy is directly or indirectly involved in curbing AMR.

Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that only safe and wholesome food, drugs, and other regulated products are available to Nigerians.

She said the agency is more dedicated to the delivery of quality services to stakeholders, hence its slogan: ‘Customer Focused…Agency Minded’.

She said further that the agency seeks to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders, ministries, departments and agencies at state and federal levels toward more effective regulation and active involvement in creating awareness about AMR.

According to her, ignorance or non-conformism among professionals will be a serious setback to ending the spread of AMR.