LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)-The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has raised serious concerns over Nigeria’s low rate of reporting adverse drug reactions, warning that the country’s healthcare safety is at risk unless urgent action is taken.
The Director of Pharmacovigilance at NAFDAC, Dr. Uchenna Elemuwa, during a high-level meeting in Lagos revealed that Nigeria reported only 4,600 adverse drug reactions in 2024, a mere 10 percent of the 46,000 cases expected based on World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
“The numbers suggest that Nigerians either don’t know they can report reactions, or they don’t know how. The lack of data weakens our ability to make informed decisions and protect public health,” she said.
Pharmacovigilance, she explained, is the science of monitoring drug safety, particularly after medicines have been approved and introduced into the market. It helps detect side effects that may not have been identified during clinical trials, many of which do not include African populations.
Dr. Elemuwa stressed that patient safety must be a priority and that healthcare providers can no longer operate with a “prescribe and walk away” mindset.
“It is not business as usual. We must follow up and act when patients experience harm,” she said.
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Stating that Nigeria is part of the WHO’s global drug safety network, it maintains a national reporting database known as VigiFlow. Yet, underreporting remains a major challenge.
“If a reaction isn’t reported, it doesn’t exist in our system. And if it doesn’t exist in our system, we can’t act on it. Pharmacovigilance is everyone’s business. We must protect patients. We must protect Nigeria,” she explained.
Also speaking at the event, the Senior Medical Officer at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Odianosen Eliakhamen, warned against complacency when it comes to traditional and herbal medicines.
“People believe that if a product is ‘natural,’ it’s completely safe. But even water can be dangerous if misused. We’re urging the public to pay attention to any unusual symptoms after taking any kind of medicine. Whether it’s prescribed, over-the-counter, or herbal, report them to a healthcare provider or directly to NAFDAC,” he said.
Representing the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Mr. Abdulazeez Yaliya emphasized the importance of public confidence in medicine and vaccine safety, especially among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and young children.
He emphasized that monitoring safety fosters trust in the system and promotes greater participation in vaccination and treatment initiatives.
“This initiative supports our broader mission of public health education,” he said.
Additionally, the Lead Scientist for the Strengthening Local Leadership (SLL) project, Dr. Segun Showande stressed the importance of reporting not only adverse drug reactions but also issues with immunizations, blood products, and medical devices.
“Every issue, from treatment failures to substandard medicines or faulty devices, is crucial and must be reported,”
“We’re working to equip both healthcare workers and the public with the tools they need to make those reports, including mobile apps like MedSafety, as well as paper and online forms,” he stated.
He added that NAFDAC is also expanding training for healthcare providers across the country to improve detection and reporting of adverse events.
Experts at the meeting agreed that unless pharmacovigilance is strengthened at all levels, from hospitals to rural communities, Nigeria risks missing critical signals that could prevent harm and save lives.
