“His Excellency, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello Wants Nigerlites To Access The Right Drug, At The Right Place, At The Right Quantity And At The Right Time”
PROTOCOL:
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to be present at this history making event; the unveiling and dissemination of the 2nd edition of the Niger State Essential Medicines List. Drugs/Medicines play vital role and occupy a unique position in health care delivery, due to their trio role of curing disease, relieving symptoms and alleviating suffering.
Essential Medicines have been defined as those drugs that satisfy the health care needs of the majority of the population. They should therefore be available, affordable and accessible at all levels of the health care delivery system, for a successful implementation of our health care strategy and care of our people. Regular review of Essential Medicines List is basic in ensuring sustenance of the Essential drug program. The benefits of the just-concluded Niger State EML review cannot therefore be over-emphasized.
EML is a powerful means of promoting health equity at all levels of health care and also serve as guideline for clinical health care practice for health workers and health administrators. I understand that the review took more cognizance on new disease prevalence, evidence of efficacy and drug safety and comparative cost effectiveness of the medicine used in Niger State. I commend the Niger State Drug and Consumables Management Agency for initiating and coordinating the successful review. The Agency’s ability outside the box in terms of funding and organization is indeed commendable.
I also commend members of the EML Review Committee and the technical experts for their commitment to ensuring that the review process turned out a success. This is in light of the understanding that the EML review exercise was quite thorough and involved exhaustive consultation of several references, including the National Standard Treatment Guidelines for ensuring that this 2nd edition contains all the medicines required to meet the needs of the majority. This review also paid good attention to maternal and infant health concerns by ensuring that medicines relevant to the reduction of the maternal and infant mortality rates are included.
I thank the Clinton Health Access Initiative, CHAI who sponsored the exercise. CHAI has been a worthy partner with the Niger State Ministry of Health and Health Services in various programs, helping to strengthen Niger State health delivery system. We believe that this edition would enhance the efforts of the Government of Niger State to make the residents of Niger State healthier at a minimum cost to individuals and government.
It is our goal that the EML review process would be carried out in Niger State at regular intervals. This is in line with his Excellency, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello’s desire that Nigerlites have access to the right drug at the right place at the right quantity at the right time and being prescribed by the right qualified health care professionals, so that Nigerlites get the right and best possible health care service.
With this, I hereby unveil the 2nd edition of the Niger State Essential Medicines List for dissemination and rational use by all health care professionals in Niger State. Thank you very much for your patience and for listening.
Good morning once again.