NAFDAC: Unregulated Goods and Health Hazardous Products

Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has stated that unregulated goods and products are hazardous to human health.

Adeyeye made the announcement yesterday in Benin City, Edo State, as part of the agency’s nationwide sensitization campaign, saying that it has become necessary to inform the public about the dangers of consuming substandard goods.

The director general, who was represented by Dr. Unar Musa, the Director of Narcotics and Controlled Substances, said the campaign aims to address public health issues such as buying medicines from hawkers instead of licensed pharmacies and medicine stores.

“The challenges posed by substandard and falsified Personal Protective Equipment have been exacerbated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said (PPEs).

“The public awareness campaign would also look into codeine abuse and self-medication, particularly among youths, the dangers of using a kerosene tanker to load groundnut oil, the dangerous practice of using potassium bromate to bake bread, and the use of cancer-causing azo-dyes in palm oil.

“Other topics covered by the campaign include the dangers of using sniper to preserve any type of food or to keep flies away from meat, the dangers of trans-fat and excessive oil consumption, the use of formalin on food and its associated health risks, and the low rate of exclusive breastfeeding by lactating mothers and its associated health risks.

“As the sensitisation train travels across the country, the dangers of improper pesticide and insecticide use, improper chemical use and its hazardous effects, as well as the problem of antimicrobial resistance arising from animal meat, will all be on the front burner.”

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According to Adeyeye, public awareness campaigns are still one of the most effective ways to promote and protect people’s health.

She stated that the main goal of this sensitization campaign is to increase and broaden the scope of both formal and informal behavior, as well as change communication strategies in order to reach the most vulnerable communities, particularly at the grassroots.