Health

BREAKING: FG bans alcoholic beverages in small sachets

Published

3 months ago

February 5, 2024

BREAKING: FG bans alcoholic beverages in small sachets

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has banned alcoholic beverages produced in sachets less than 200ml.
The agency said the five-year window given to the manufacturers of the products to stop producing the drinks in sachets and pet bottles which began in 2018 elapsed on January 31, 2024.

She said enforcement of the ban commenced on February 1, 2024.

The director-general of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, while addressing the media over the development in Abuja on Monday, February 5, said the ban was not a sudden development but a result of a multilateral Committee that agreed that the ban would be in phases whereby production would be reduced by 50 percent by 2020 while outright ban would be on January 31, 2024.

Given that decision, the DG said NAFDAC did not issue renewal licenses exceeding January 2024 to any manufacturer of the products.

According to her, the agency took the route of wiping out the drinks in such sachets because of the negative effects on underage children.

She said because the drinks come in pocket-friendly sizes, accessible and affordable, children easily fell for the packages only to face the consequences in the future.

She said: “This decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC on one hand, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), in December 2018.

“As a commitment to the decision reached at the end of this Committee meeting, producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce the production by 5 percent with effect from 31st January 2022 while ensuring the product is completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024”.

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According to her, the future of the country supersedes other considerations in the enforcement of the policy.

Noting that saving Nigerian children and protecting the health of the larger society is paramount, Adeyeye said: “The people who are mostly at risk of the negative effect of consumption of the banned pack sizes of alcoholic beverages are the under-aged and commercial vehicle drivers and riders.

“The World Health Organization has established that children who drink alcohol are more likely to: use drugs, get bad grades, suffer injury or death, engage in risky sexual activity, make bad decisions and have health problems.

“The World Health Organization also stated that harmful consumption of alcohol is linked to more than 200 health conditions including infectious diseases (tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS) and non-communicable conditions (liver cirrhosis and different types of cancer).

“It is also associated with social problems such as alcohol addiction and gender-based violence.

“To curb the menace of abuse of alcohol, the World Health Organization recommended some actions and strategies to Policy-Makers that have shown to be effective and cost-effective, which include: regulating the marketing of alcoholic beverages (in particular to younger people) and regulating and restricting the availability of alcohol.”

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She said in the course of enforcing the ban it was discovered that some manufacturers were still in production of the banned products and still had stacks of both finished products and packaging materials of the products in their possession.

She noted: “This situation is of course not acceptable, and the Agency views this as flagrant disobedience to the laws of Nigeria. NAFDAC views this matter seriously and will engage all statutory means, which may include prosecution, to deal with the matter”.

She warned that there is no going back on the decision, saying, “I want to use this medium to ask all holders of alcohol in sachets, PET and Glass bottles, empty sachets, PET bottles, empty Glass bottles, and other packaging materials of these banned products to immediately report to the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC for hand-over of same to NAFDAC for destruction, to prevent sterner measures including prosecution.

“NAFDAC is resolutely committed to the strict implementation of the regulations and regulatory measures towards safeguarding the health of Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable youth, against the dangers of reckless consumption of alcohol.”

BREAKING: FG bans alcoholic beverages in small sachets

Related Topics:alcoholic beverages FG sachets

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Foreigners now visit Nigeria for plastic surgery, others – Minister

Published

5 days ago

May 8, 2024

Trends Admin

Foreigners now visit Nigeria for plastic surgery, others – Minister

Nigeria’s healthcare is no longer in crisis, Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, has said.

He said citizens of other countries in Asia, Europe and South America were beginning to visit Nigeria for medical treatment, especially in plastic surgery.

He spoke in an interview on Arise TV, maintaining that Nigeria now has reversed medical tourism.

“Today, we have a reversed medical tourism. We no longer have a japa syndrome in the healthcare system.

People are coming from India, South America and Europe for medical treatment in Nigeria, especially in the surgical area.”

He claimed that with improvements in the healthcare system, the country was witnessing a reversal of the ‘japa syndrome,’ suggesting that medical personnel were returning home from abroad.

According to him, the proliferation of aesthetic hospitals, numbering close to 900 across Nigeria, also contributes to attracting patients seeking services such as plastic surgery.

“Today, we have almost 900 aesthetic hospitals around Nigeria. People are coming to get plastic surgery,’’ he said.

He noted that the administration’s commitment to prioritising public health led to positive changes in the healthcare sector.

“We have a President now that believes a healthy nation is the core to harnessing our biggest asset, which is our human capital,” Alausa said.

He added that the government allocated dedicated funds and initiated collaborations to enhance primary healthcare services and expand health insurance coverage.

“The President has mandated us to increase coverage from about seven million to about 50 million people to have health insurance in the next two to three years.

“This marks the highest budget allocation for the health sector in almost 24 years,” he said.

Health

Measles outbreak kills 42 in northern Nigerian state

Published

1 week ago

May 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Measles outbreak kills 42 in northern Nigerian state

The Adamawa State Government confirmed on Friday evening that 42 individuals have tragically succumbed to a measles outbreak.

Felix Tangwame, the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, disclosed this somber update, specifying that the fatalities occurred in Mubi and Gombi local government areas.

Addressing reporters following a state executive council meeting at the Government House, Yola, Tangwame detailed the extent of the outbreak. He revealed that eight wards in Mubi and seven wards in Gombi were affected by the measles outbreak, resulting in the loss of 42 lives out of 131 and 177 affected individuals, respectively, in the mentioned LGAs.

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In response to the crisis, all local government areas in the state have been placed on red alert as a precautionary measure to prevent further spread.

Tangwame emphasized the promptness of his ministry’s response upon receiving reports of the outbreak, attributing their ability to manage the situation effectively to swift action. He assured that both the government and development partners are actively engaged in addressing the situation.

Measles outbreak kills 42 in northern Nigerian state

Health

Nido infant milk neither registered nor sold in Nigeria – NAFDAC

Published

2 weeks ago

April 28, 2024

Trends Admin

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye

Nido infant milk neither registered nor sold in Nigeria – NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Sunday declared that the Nido infant milk formula, alleged to contain sugar or honey, was not registered and sold in Nigeria.

The director-general of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known in a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

Mr Adeyeye said the attention of NAFDAC’s Management was drawn to an online publication alleging that one of the worlds largest consumer goods company added sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold in many poorer countries, contrary to international guidelines aimed at preventing obesity and chronic diseases.

It stated that the online publication of April 17, 2024 was being circulated widely to the general public.

Mr Adeyeye said the report further stated that samples of baby food products sold in Asia, Africa and Latin America were tested and results revealed that sugar and honey were added in form of sucrose in samples of Nido and Cerelac.

“The Management of NAFDAC wishes to use this medium to reassure the public that the Agency exercises due regulatory diligence in the registration of infant and young children foods distributed and used in Nigeria.

“This is in line with relevant Codex Alimentarius international food standards (Codex) and more specifically, Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS).

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“This is applicable to all categories of infant and young children foods distributed by manufacturers, importers, and marketers of infant and young children foods operating within Nigeria.

“Regarding the mention of Nido follow-up milk formula in the publication, NAFDAC wishes to state that the product is not registered in Nigeria, is not known to the Agency and is not in circulation in Nigeria,” she stated.

According to Ms Adeyeye, the range of Nestle Cerelac infant cereals distributed in Nigeria are duly registered with NAFDAC in line with the Nigerian Industrial Standard for Foods for Infants and Young Children.

“Processed Cereal Based foods (NIS 256:2010) and the Codex Standard for Processed Cereal-based Foods for Infants and Young Children (CXS 74-1981 was adopted in 1981, revised in 2006, amended in 2017, 2019, and 2023), as well as the applicable NAFDAC regulations for compliance with safety, quality, and labelling requirements.

“Adequate, optimal nutrition during infancy and early childhood is essential to ensure the growth, health, and development of children to their full potential.

“The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) implements the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, developing international food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice with the mandate to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair international food trade.

“Nigeria (NAFDAC) is an active participant at these international food standards setting arena to contribute Nigerians positions during food standards development,” it said.

According to the statement, the Agency, on March 22 held a stakeholders engagement with members of the Association of Infant Food Manufacturers and Marketers in Nigeria, AIFMN, anchored by the Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FSAN, Directorate, to further drive home the importance and special place of infant and young child nutrition.

Adeyeye reassured the public that the Agency was fully alive to her responsibilities of assuring the safety, wholesomeness and quality of infant and young children foods offered for sale in Nigeria in compliance with the relevant standards and regulations.