By Chioma Obinna

lagos—The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC, yesterday said there were no “killer” anti-malarial medicines in Nigeria.

Dismissing fears of circulation of purportedly banned 42 anti-malarial drugs in the country, at a press conference in Lagos, Acting Director -General, NAFDAC, Dr Yetunde Oni, urged Nigerians to disregard such misinformation.

“We want to douse the tension and correct the misinformation on the social and mainstream media about the 42 anti-malarial medicines purportedly banned by the European Union but allegedly circulating in the country.

Mosquito

“It is pertinent to mention that the allegedly banned anti-malarial medicines are oral monotherapies containing single Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) such as Artesunate as contained in Arinate tablet.

“Others are Amodiaquine as contained in Camoquine, Dihydroartemisinin contained in Alaxin tablet and Pyrimethamine contained in Daraprim tablet.”

She advised Nigerians to use ACTs as they were the WHO’s recommended anti-malarials.

“I wish to state categorically that these anti-malarial monotherapies are not recommended for treatment of malaria in Nigeria.

“The recommended anti-malarial medicines for treatment of malaria in Nigeria are Artemisin Combination Therapies, ACTs,” Dr Oni said.