By Salif Atojoko

The Federal Government has granted approval to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ratify the African Medicines Agency treaty.

Prof. Ali Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said, while briefing State House correspondents, that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave the approval at its second meeting of the year, which held on Tuesday.

Pate said the treaty was initiated by the Africa Union Heads of State and Government at the 32nd meeting in Addis Ababa in February 2019.

“So far, 37 member states of the Africa Union have signed to the treaty, and 26 have ratified it, and the Federal Executive Council today directed that the treaty be ratified by Nigeria and directed us to take all actions to give effect to the treaty,” he said.

He said the treaty was intended to enhance the capacity of all state parties that ratified it to improve their regulatory capacities regarding medical products.

He said it would also increase access to safe, quality assured medical services, and use common standards across the continent towards a Pan African regulatory framework.

“And the import of this is, as we move in this direction, what we produce as part of our value chain expansion will have a much wider market.

“So, we’re expanding the market for products that can be manufactured here, just as other African countries; what they manufacture, we can also trade with them,” said Pate.

He said FEC also approved six contracts for major diagnostic equipment, three Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment and two CT scan equipment at the University of Uyo teaching Hospital in Akwa Ibom and the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun.

Others are: the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife, the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, the Modibbo Adamawa University Teaching Hospital in Yola, Adamawa State, and the Federal teaching hospital in Kebbi.

“You can see that gradually, piece by piece, we have been building our health infrastructure, but also at the higher level in the teaching hospital.

“People are now beginning to come to Nigeria from the region to receive quality healthcare. This is already happening, including people from far away, places like the United Kingdom and United States,” said the minister.

He added that good things were happening in Nigeria’s healthcare system, “the transformation that the President promised is beginning to happen.

“We need to sustain it, and we’re investing, and we will continue to invest in that direction.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma