Guardian

• To support researchers with genuine claims

• Govt boosts immunization with 33m vaccines

FOR allegedly not following standard scientific protocol before announcing that he had made progress with a Human Immuno/deficiency Virus (HIV) vaccine on Tuesday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday bared its regulatory teeth at Prof. Isaiah Ibeh.

The agency disassociated itself from the claim and has launched an immediate probe into the issue.   NAFDAC has also summoned Ibeh to its office for interrogation while pledging to assist researchers with genuine claims to advance such researches.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Paul Orhii, who spoke to reporters in Abuja, also threatened stiff sanctions on Ibeh, a Dean of School of Medical Sciences at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) for allegedly breaching scientific protocols. He said the product was neither brought to the agency for vetting nor was it subjected to any known institutional scrutiny.

UNIBEN authorities had on Wednesday also rejected Ibeh’s claim. The Provost of the College of Medical Sciences, Prof. Vincent Iyawe, declared that necessary procedures for verifying claims of that nature must be followed first.

And as part of efforts to sustain routine immunisation for improved maternal and child health outcomes, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), has deployed over 33 million doses of vaccines and 22 million units of injection materials to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The vaccines, according to NPHDA’s Executive Director, Ado Gana Mohammed, are to prevent major child killer diseases such as diphtheria, pertusis, tetranus, hepatitis B, whooping cough, measles, yellow fever and poliomyelitis.

Mohammed, in a statement by NPHCDA’a Assistance Director Public Relations Unit, Saad Salahu, said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s approval and release of funds for vaccine procurement and the free distribution to all states was to save lives, reduce morbidity and mortality attributable to vaccines preventable disease.

Mohammed urged all states and councils to make adequate arrangement for availability of the vaccines in all health facilities for vaccination of children. He also implore parents/caregivers to avail their children/wards to be vaccinated in the various Primary Health Centres (PHCs) or health facilities nationwide.

Orhii said: “We have started with disassociating ourselves from the so called cure. We will decide the appropriate sanction. We have invited him for further investigation. If our laws don’t have appropriate punishment for such persons who don’t follow scientific protocols in making such pronouncement, we will review the law and ensure that such do not occur again.

“The agency wishes to state that this herbal drug which is claimed to have undergone a series of successful tests has never been presented to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for evaluation of efficacy and safety. This bogus claim of efficacy without following the appropriate procedure for drug evaluation is capable of misleading the public, especially those that have HIV/AIDS infection as there is no known official or scientifically proven cure for HIV/AIDS infection to date.

“You may recall that Nigeria had been inundated with similar spurious claims in the past, when individuals announced cure for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Diabetes which later turned out to be false after thorough investigation. This is usually at the expense of innocent citizens who have risked their lives, wasted their time and money in search of the elusive cure for their ailments. Nigerians deserve better than to be used as Guinea pigs no matter how noble the intention of the researcher.”

He added: “Also recall that in September 2011, NAFDAC arrested the Managing Director of Winners Medical Diagnostics and Research Institute, Dr. Jacob Abdullahi for dealing in expired medicines claimed to be cure for HIV. Similarly, in November 2011, one Dr. (Amb) P.S.A. Bondima Young of Bondima Hepatoviral Centre, Jos was apprehended by NAFDAC for administering unregistered drugs on patients for the treatment of Hepatitis.

“I wish to caution other persons who might want to follow the footsteps of Prof. Isaiah Ibeh in making public claims for products whose safety and efficiency have not been scientifically proven to desist from such acts. There is a laid down protocol for determining efficacy and safety of new medicines and this must be strictly adhered to by all.”