NAFDAC pledges continuous partnership with Media to tackle drug hawking, other vices

From Paul Orude Bauchi

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); has pledged continuous engagement with the media to win the fight against drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide to safeguard the health of citizens.

The DG, Professor Moji Adeyeye gave the tips in Bauchi on Monday during the North East zonal.NAFDAC Media sensitisation workshop on dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide.

She said the consumption of fruits such as mango, banana, plantain, guava, orange, grape, etc or any other fruits ripened with calcium carbide  and  hawking of drugs were dangerous to health.

Adeyeye, who was represented by NAFDAC’s Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research of the Agency, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, said the move followed

 calls by citizens on the need to take stringent regulatory actions to stem the dangerous tide of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide. 

She explained that several national dailies and non-governmental organizations had also raised concerns on the health hazards of artificial fruit ripening and drug hawking and the agency swung into action by flagging off media sensitization workshops across the country in 2019 to tackle the menace.

“This is again a fulfilment of my promise to sustain and strengthen NAFDAC’s existing collaboration with Association of Health Journalists in Nigeria towards mobilizing, educating, sensitizing, and conscientizing Nigerians,” she said 

She believed that journalists play frontline role in the agency’s  concerted efforts to eradicate the menace of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium arbide in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC DG disclosed that the agency recently organised similar sensitization workshops in eight cities across the country to raise awareness on the dangers of using bleaching creams. 

“This was in line with my resolve to intensify and widen the scope of our publicity and public awareness campaigns as part of the transformative programmes of my second tenure of office,” she said.

“I wish to assure you that NAFDAC will constantly engage the mass media as we strive to bring down to the grassroot level positive impacts of our regulatory activities”

Earlier in her welcome address at the zonal media sensitizatiion workshop, the Bauchi State coordinator of NAFDAC, Mrs Josephine Dayilim, thanked God for making it a reality,.

“I want to also thank our amiable and indefatigable DG for approving the workshop,” Dayilim stated.

While appreciating and recognizing all participants, she specifically urged the Association of Health Journalists to publicize the message widely and join the agency  in the war against drugs hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide.

“The collaboration with the media would enable the Agency achieve her mandate of safeguarding the health of the nation and her goal of Customer Focused , Agency Minded,” Dayilim said.