The Federal Government has unveiled its strategy to ensure the local production of vaccines and significantly reduce reliance on the importation of pharmaceutical products. This announcement was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a stakeholders’ dialogue aimed at addressing technology gaps in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and vaccine sectors.
The dialogue, organized in collaboration with the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation (APTF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), convened in Abuja to synthesize ideas and solutions for robust strategies that would facilitate technology transfer for local manufacturing of medicines and vaccines.
Dr. Alausa emphasized that the government’s approach seeks to establish a strong foundation to harness local capacity for meeting the healthcare needs of the population. He highlighted that this intervention would not only enable local production of vaccines but also stimulate research and development activities for pharmaceuticals and other healthcare commodities.
Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Dr. Alausa noted that Nigeria, like many other African countries, faced challenges due to the inability to manufacture vaccines locally. In response to this, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Pate Ali, spearheaded the development of a vaccine policy to proactively address the issue and achieve sustainable local manufacturing of vaccines.
Dr. Alausa underscored the collaborative efforts involved in formulating the vaccine policy, involving critical stakeholders in the healthcare sector. He emphasized the importance of such proactive measures in ensuring the country’s self-reliance in healthcare and bolstering its resilience to external disruptions.
The dialogue serves as a platform for fostering partnerships, exchanging knowledge, and devising innovative solutions to enhance Nigeria’s capacity in pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing. Through concerted efforts and strategic collaborations, the government aims to strengthen the healthcare sector and promote self-sufficiency in healthcare provision.
