A recent study of the Quality of Anti-Malaria Medicines in Sub-Sahara Africa (QAMSA) including Nigeria has revealed a 20 per cent failure rate within the region.

Director - General of World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Margret Chan dropped the hint in her opening remarks at the first meeting of the New Member State Mechanism on Spurious Substandard, Falsely labelled, Falsified and Counterfeit Medical products (SSFFC) held in Buones Aires, Argentina.

Dr. Chan said a similar study undertaken by the WHO in Asia showed about 38 per cent failure rate of anti-malaria medicines within that region.

A similar study carried out by the WHO in 2008 put the failure rate of anti-malaria medicines in Nigeria at more than 64 per cent.

Director-General of The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, observed that there was a strong correlation between the agency's 2012 National Survey on Quality of medicines using TRUSCAN device and laboratory analysis which puts the failure rate of anti-malaria drugs in Nigeria currently at 19.6 per cent.

A comparative analysis of the two different QAMSA studies within three years, indicates a massive and progressive reduction of counterfeit anti-malaria medicines in Nigeria from 64.9 (per cent) in 2008 to 20 (per cent) in 2012.

Dr. Orhii explained that these results are clear attestations to the remarkable successes NAFDAC has recorded in the fight against drug counterfeiting through the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and other multi-layered, well co-ordinated and innovative approaches.