THE aphorism, 'health is wealth', has a universal appeal. From the perspective of a nation, the general well being of the citizenry as expressed in the living standard, is a veritable indicator of its political and socio-economic prosperity. Therefore, the strategic vision of the leadership, galvanized with uncommon intelligence, is certain to herald successes in a nation's endeavour, particularly in its health sector.A dynamic approach by any nation towards boosting its healthcare delivery system through ensuring that both the curative and preventive pharmaceutical products remain standardized and unadulterated is indeed a sine-qua-non for a sustainable and progressive economic growth. This perhaps explains why the Dr.
Goodluck Jonathan-led administration in Nigeria is working tirelessly to ensuring that Nigerians have access to an internationally comparable healthcare delivery system. Unknown to many Nigerians, the nation's healthcare delivery system is being regularly accorded maximum government attention in an attempt to guarantee enduring healthcare delivery services for all. Strategic to the attainment of this national healthcare goal is Dr. Paul Bortwev Orhii,Meet Seattle's newest crime-fighting tool: Sheep
the incumbent Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control.The revered technocrat, medical icon and legal luminary has done a lot to meet the expectation of Nigerians in his directing the agency's affairs to accomplishing uncommon results. The agency's ultra-modern laboratory in Agulu, Anambra State, has been strategically positioned to offer internationally standardised services.
It is intensifying efforts to enable indigenous pharmaceutical firms attain the World Health Organisation's set pre-qualification guidelines for drug production in line with international practices. Nigerians can be assured that locally produced pharmaceutical products will eventually compete favourably with those of their counterparts abroad.To consolidate this achievement, the agency, in collaboration with the Nigerian Bank of Industry, has initiated a multi-million naira Pharmaceutical Development Fund, to make available a minimally low interest capital lifeline to indigenous pharmaceutical companies. A highly capitalised pharmaceutical industry buoy a successful healthcare delivery system. Notably, the Federal Government recently launched Save One Million Lives Programme, to boost the realisation of the United Nations global strategy to save multi-million lives by 2015. The responsibility for enhancing the safety and quality of Life-Saving pharmaceutical commodities approved for the programme in Nigeria falls on NAFDAC.