Only 300 psychiatrists serving over 200 million Nigerians – NAFDAC

…calls for stronger regularisation connected psychiatric drugs

By Cynthia Alo

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called for stronger regularisation of psychotropic and antidepressant medicines to amended entree to harmless intelligence wellness treatment, adjacent arsenic it said that lone 300 psychiatrists presently service the country’s colonisation of implicit 200 million.

Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said anemic regulation, mediocre entree to prime medicines, and rising cause maltreatment are contributing to Nigeria’s increasing intelligence wellness crisis.

Speaking during the 3rd Vanguard Mental Health Summit successful Lagos, Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director, Narcotics and Controlled Substances (NCS), NAFDAC, Dr. Ramatu Momodu, said beardown regularisation builds trust, improves entree to treatment, and tin assistance trim the 16,000 termination deaths recorded yearly successful Nigeria.

“Nigeria records an estimated 16,000 termination deaths annually. Suicide is 1 of the starring causes of decease among young radical aged 15-29. Major triggers see depression, unemployment, societal isolation, and cause abuse, overuse oregon misuse. Many suicides are preventable with aboriginal involution and entree to safe, approved treatment.”

She said beardown cause regularisation was indispensable to restoring nationalist spot and ensuring lone approved and harmless medicines scope the public.

“Regulation is not conscionable policy; it is protection, prevention, and preservation of life. Strong regularisation builds assurance successful the healthcare strategy and ensures entree to harmless and effectual medicines.”

Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC’s oversight of narcotics and psychotropic substances is aimed not conscionable astatine compliance but astatine redeeming lives.

“Poor regularisation tin pb to unsafe cause abuse, misuse, and overdose.Quality-assured medicines reconstruct anticipation and forestall deaths.”

The D-G maintained that determination was request to fortify inter-agency partnerships for wider intelligence wellness access, fast-track registration of WHO-prequalified psychotropic drugs arsenic good arsenic to grow integer surveillance of cause income adding that determination was request for continued nationalist sensitisation to trim stigma and forestall suicide.

She said NAFDAC collaborates with the NDLEA, Federal Ministry of Health, UNODC and WHO to guarantee transparency and uphold Nigeria’s obligations nether planetary cause power conventions.

“When we physique spot successful our systems, we physique anticipation successful our people.

“Regulation is not conscionable argumentation it is protection, prevention, and preservation of life
“Mental Health is simply a basal quality close that each Nigerian is entitled to,” she added.

The station Only 300 psychiatrists serving implicit 200 cardinal Nigerians – NAFDAC appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.