Review of TV Programme on Dora Akunyili

I've just finished watching a programme on BBC titled 'Bad Medicine' which essentially was a documentary on how Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC director, was tackling the problem of fake drugs in Nigeria.

The programme started by showing Akunyili addressing the traders at Kano market where she had come to make an address. She explained why their market had been shut down previously, and she exhorted them to avoid peddling fake drugs.

The programme told about how tough things were when Akunyili assumed the headship of NAFDAC four years ago. Her first action was a massive public enlightenment campaign on the dangers of fake drugs and how to recognise fake from real drugs. But when she started getting tough on fake drug traders by seizing their goods, they struck back by burning down NAFDAC labs and buildings.

The programme showed Akunyili showing the reporter on the programme the burnt the NAFDAC headquarters. It also talked about how Akunyili narrowly avoided being assassinated two years ago.

The reporter asked her why she was so passionate about stamping out fake drugs, and she said that her motivation was her late sister who died many years ago from using fake drugs.

The programme then showed the reporter on patrol with NAFDAC officials, and showed them confiscating fake drugs from petty traders. Apparently, most of the traders weren't even aware that their drugs were fake. They showed an incident where one man was arrested because fake drugs were found in his warehouse. The man claimed that he had been planning to hand the drugs into NAFDAC. Then he got all dramatic and started crying and throwing himself on the mercy of the NAFDAC official who was interviewing him.

The programme went on to talk about one big man (I've forgotten the name now) who NAFDAC caught who seemed to be at the top of the chain (and who may have had a hand in her assassination attempt). The man was given the choice either to apologise on public TV and renounce his evil ways or face court action. The man chose the TV option, but later on rejected his TV statement, so the case in now in court.

Then the programme spoke about an incident at UNTH where foreign medical professionals from an international charity visited Nigeria to perform operations on some children. In the course of performing the operations, they realised that the drugs were not having the desired effect and they believed that they might be fake, so they had to suspend the operations and turn away other patients rather than (as they said) risk lives. As a result, some children died.

However, the hospital never informed the parents of the children what happened - the only way the story blew up was when the foreign medical professionals published what they knew, and NAFDAC went into action and tested the medicines at the hospital. All/most were fake. NAFDAC traced the origin of the drugs to Onitsha market. But nobody was sacked, and the head of UNTH and the Minister of Health absolved themselves of any direct responsibility.

The programme noted that a lot of the fake drugs in Nigeria originate from India. Akunyili said that NAFDAC ran a programme where they tested drugs originating from that part of the world and as a result had banned several drugs from being imported into Nigeria. But there was not much she could do about the regulation of the drugs in India itself.

The programme showed an Indian fake-drug manufacturer who seemed to feel very comfortable with his activities. He claimed what he did was semi-legal in so far as his drugs still had the intended effect, only that they were given a different (more recognised name). But there was another Indian fake drug manufacturer who claimed to offer cheaper fake drugs by adulteration... the more the adulteration, the cheaper the drug.

Akunyili felt very frustrated at the lack of attention that the Indian government was giving the fake drug problem. She claimed that the drug regulation policy was discriminatory - there was one regulation for drugs intended for the domestic market, and one for the international market.

The programme noted that the fake drug problem was even beginning to manifest itself in the UK - there was the case of a fake drug manufacturer whose premises in London were raided by the police.

The programme finished by noting that through her hardwork and determination, Akunyili had succeeded in reducing the prevalence of fake drugs in Nigeria, and Nigerians hailed her success in this regard.

More info on the programme here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/4656627.stm



My thoughts?

I felt:

moved when Akunyili had to stop showing the reporter around the burnt NAFDAC building and turned away in tears, and also when she was talking about how her sister died from taking fake drugs;

Angry when I heard the head of UNTH reacting to the news of the fake drugs in his hospital. Instead of the man to offer his abject apology, he was saying that the news should have come to him first! I won't even talk about the Minister of Health who was ducking and weaving in his attempt to escape responsibility;

Depressed when I heard the callousness with which the drug fakers talked about manufacturing their 'chalk of death'. But I guess you can afford to be callous when you're far away from the mothers that cry when their children die.

Happy that Nigerians recognise the work of this wonderful woman who could have chosen not to have anything to do with this government on all sorts of grounds. I glad that she realises that there are some issues that are too important to take a stand-by-and-watch attitude on. I'm still concerned about what will happen when she goes... but sometimes, the work that you do when you have the opportunity to do it acts as an inspiration to others who otherwise might do nothing.

I am sad that all the Indians could export to our country are fake and counterfeit drugs and they even brag about it! The callousness with which they make these drugs even when they know it means death for another. I am angry at the greedy Nigerian that would go and buy such drugs.

We need men and women in the calibre of Dora to deliver us from the hands of the money crazy people so that our society will be the one we are proud of.

@Ka, I saw the same programme and my goodness, I was positively livid.

I was particularly livid at the heartless people who would pour water in drips and sell to terribly sick people, pushing them to their untimely graves. I could have shot the Indian woman who boasted of how she cuts pieces of chalk to represent Panadol and the Indian man who boasted of his large factory of fake drugs.

I was moved to tears when the couple who lost their 18 month old baby to fake drugs were interviewed. American surgeons went to Nigeria to operate on children for free but everything conceivable went wrong after the operations, the kids died, owing to fake drugs. The heart of man is indeed hopelessly wicked.

I commend Dr. Dora and I wish her and her administration every success. There is a woman with a genuine passion for her calling. What paradise on earth Nigeria would be if half the Ministers and people occupying senatorial positions possessed half as much the passion she does towards their diverse jobs.

Our leaders need to get serious and sto misbehaving like this. Thats the only way the indians can continue this rubbish. if not for this lady, many more people would be dying. I wish the media would focus more on the evil these indian governments do

Fake drug is a big problem in Nigeria and we are in for it.

This woman has done a good job little wonder they want her dead at all cost.

And this same woman will be retiring after this tenure who will continue where she stopped.

Fake drugs is the bane of majority who have gone to grave beyond untimely.

Dora Akinyuli is fighting a strong fight, but I need what we need is to have drug testing centers al over the country so if your drug isn't working as expected you can get it tested. There's room for a pharmacuetical store chain that guarantees that all drugs sold will be authentic (by buying from manufacturers).

[img]http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/counterfeit/P32302_01.jpg[/img]

Nigeria: Dangers of Drug Counterfeiting

Abuja
25 October 2007

"The problem of counterfeit drugs and other regulated products is rapidly rearing its ugly head in developed countries and this is fueled by purchase of drugs via the internet. The negative impact of counterfeit drugs and other regulated products knows no boundaries. Resistant strains of micro-organisms do not need visa to travel from country to country." -Prof. Dora Akunyili
Sadly, the above quote captures the dilemma the world is facing in the hands of fake drugs manufacturers and distributors. Indeed, the problem of counterfeit drugs is now a global phenomenon with its effects felt adversely in the developing countries.Unfortunately, many countries are increasingly facing hydra-headed problems of counterfeit drugs in various ways, but the problem continues to get worse largely due to the lucrative nature of the business with minimal overhead and easily accessible distribution channel facilitated by the internet. For instance, America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently revealed publicly, the presence of "counterfeit versions of the cholesterol drugs, Lipitor and Crestor, as well as the painkiller Celebrex, blood-pressure medication Diovan, baldness treatment Propecia and five other prescription drugs" in the drug market.
In his recent study of fake pharmaceuticals, Dr. Paul Newton of Oxford University found a disturbing amount of fake malaria drugs sold in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. He disappointedly concluded, ", about half of the artesunate contained no active ingredient. So, logically, if malaria is a public health problem in Southeast Asia and is potentially fatal, if people are taking these drugs that contain starch and chalk, they are very unlikely to survive their malaria infection." He continued, "In one shop, a hundred thousand fake artesunate were offered for sale. So, they are not being produced in somebody's kitchen. They are produced on an industrial scale. And if organised crime is involved, which seems very likely, then that makes it much harder to do anything about."In the face of the daunted task of safeguarding the public health through the assurance, only genuine drugs make it through the distribution channel.Various countries are working assiduously to combat fake drugs in their respective markets by averting the introduction of counterfeit drugs. They are also working to facilitate the identification of counterfeit drugs and educate the public of the presence of such drugs through various means. Some countries have found successes in their campaign, especially in creating public awareness, while others have employed high technology to help them with the identification process. However, the fight is a daunting one due to greed and corpulent profit for the perpetrators of the ills.In America, and in most other countries with high levels of pharmaceutical manufacturing firms and complex distribution channels, once drugs are manufactured, they go through a multifarious maze of primary and secondary wholesalers before reaching the pharmacy and subsequently the final consumers - the patients.Though drug counterfeiting is a global problem, Nigera is the most lucrative dumping ground for counterfeit drugs and other regulated products with catastrophic public health consequences.
Counterfeit drugs are widespread in Nigeria. Prof Dora Akunyili lamented the enormous problems of fake drugs and the steps NAFDAC has taken to tackle them in her recent speech at the inaugural convention of the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas, Inc. (NAPPSA) in Houston, Texas. The progress NAFDAC has made under the leadership of Akunyili has been widely commended. However, Akunyili reminded the audience that, "The fight against drug and other regulated product counterfeiting requires collaboration among all nations. International co-operation is important if trans-national criminal networks are to be dismantled."Dora Akunyili, therefore, pleaded with members of NAPPSA and other Nigerian professionals in America to come home and assist in eradicating fake drugs that have infested the drug supply chain in Nigeria. She pleaded, "I encourage you as pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to come home and establish drug manufacturing factories and wholesale outlets in Nigeria. You can pool your resources as cooperatives and you will be surprised that the return on your investment will be better than what you can get anywhere in the world."Some of us complain about poor infrastructural facilities like inadequate power supply, water, etc, but Indians, Chinese and other nationals are all over Nigeria making it big, despite these challenges. If foreigners can make it despite the prevailing challenges, you too can," she concluded.Most Nigerians in the audience responded positively to her call. Dr. Funmi Ajayi, Senior Director, Department of Experimental Medicine and Drug Safety, New Technology Development, P&G Pharmaceuticals, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA agreed with Dr. Akunyili. She concurred, "As a firm believer in "to whom much is given, much is required", I see my involvement with NAPPSA as a great opportunity to give back to my country. I obtained all my education in Nigeria and fully appreciate our God-given potential as a nation.It is apparent that fake drugs and counterfeit regulated products have for a long time jeopardized the public health in Nigeria. It is true that there is no mechanism to account for the number of deaths resulting from the consumption of fake and contaminated drugs and other products in Nigeria; one does not have to be a rocket scientist to realize the phenomenal cost, both in human life and economic realm, of the presence these dangerous products in the market. Despite the challenges, it is therefore imperative for everyone to join hands to stamp out fake products in the country. The government should work diligently to strengthen and enforce laws that discourage counterfeiting of drugs and regulated products in Nigeria.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200710250091.html

Thanks to India and China!