The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has officially joined a £3.7 million international project dedicated to enhancing vaccine quality monitoring. This three-year study, supported by the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council, aims to secure the vaccine supply chain against substandard or fake products.
Spearheaded by the University of Oxford’s Medicine Quality Research Group, the consortium includes global partners such as Obafemi Awolowo University, the University of East London, and Thailand’s Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit. The primary goal is to validate advanced screening tools that identify compromised vaccines before they are administered to the public.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, noted that the collaboration will significantly bolster Nigeria’s regulatory oversight. By utilizing innovative testing and health economics analysis, the agency intends to create a more efficient and reliable system for verifying vaccine integrity. This work evolves from the Vaccine Identity Evaluation Consortium, which was initially formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate the threat of falsified medication.
Beyond immediate laboratory improvements, the research will provide a framework for cost-effective surveillance that could serve as a model for other nations facing similar challenges. Ultimately, the project seeks to fortify public immunization programs and restore confidence in the quality of vaccines distributed across Nigeria.
