Stakeholders
in the health sector have urged Lagos state government to create policy
direction for Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablet (Amoxicillin DT) and Zinc/ Low
Osmolarity Oral Rehydration Salt (Zinc/LO-ORS) in order to address childhood
Pneumonia and Diarrhea.
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L- r: Dr. Mrs.
Moyosore Adejumo FPSN, representing the Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Dr.
Jide Idris, making a remark; Dr. Mrs.
Monica Eimunjeze, Director Registration & Regulatory Affairs, National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Pharm. (Mrs.) Sherifat Salami, Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Lagos State Health Service Commission during a
one-day policy dialogue on the use of Amoxicillin dispersible tablet and
Zinc/low osmolarity oral rehydration salt in the management of childhood
pneumonia and diarrhoea held recently, which was in conjunction with the World
Water Day at Dover Hotel Ikeja, Lagos State.
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He said that
the state is currently integrating the existing central health commodity supply
chains to increase availability of medicines and diagnostics across the State,
so as to effectively tackle childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhea.
On the
improvement in the knowledge and skills of health workers across the state, he
said, it will help increase appropriate diagnosis and proper treatment of the
diseases.
According to
him: "Childhood Pneumonia and
Diarrhea are leading killers of under-five children; in 2013 alone, about 1.5
million children died globally and about 400, 000, (Diarrhea-201, 368
Pneumonia-177, 212) died in Nigeria. In Lagos State, Pneumonia and Diarrhea
accounts for approximately 9 percent and 10 per cent of deaths of under-five
children respectively.
"As at
2015, there is 76 per cent availability of Zn/LO-ORS co-pack across the 280
Primary Health Centres in the 57 LGAs/LCDAs in Lagos State. We will ensure
community participation in the management of childhood pneumonia and diarrhea
through awareness creation and ownership."
In his
speech, the President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, (PSN), Pharm. Ahmed
Yakassai said Local Healthcare Providers and Private Sector Actors
(Manufacturers, Distributors, and Community Pharmacies) are encouraged to
increase production, distribution and appropriate promotion of the use of these
commodities.
He added
that frontline health workers including Community Pharmacists and Proprietary
and Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) should be trained to identify the danger
signs of childhood Pneumonia and refer appropriately.
Giving the
update on the registration and regulatory environment of the child health
commodities Amoxicillin DT, Zinc and Lo-ORS in Nigeria by Dr. Monica Hemben
Eimunjeze, Director Registration and Regulatory Affairs, National Agency For
Food and Drug Administration and Control,(NAFDAC), added that Zinc tablet
should be used in combination with low osmolarity oral rehydration salt
(LO-ORS) in all cases of childhood Diarrhea, stressing that the Zinc tablet
when used for the full recommended ten days can protect the child from Diarrhea
for the next 2-3 months.
She however
added that NAFDAC will sustain, strengthen existing processes and systems to
ensure that lifesaving commodities available within our jurisdiction are of
good quality, safe and efficacious.
At the end
of the dialogue, a communique was drafted with a recommendation that the state
government should develop a Standard Treatment Guidelines document that will
include childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhea commodities.
