Swipha’s WHO certification a feat for all Nigerians – Health minister

A few days ago, Onyebuchi Chukwu, minister of Health, was in Lagos on a tour of Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited (Swipha) factory in Dopemu area of the state and to felicitate with the company on its certification by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its compliance with the standard of good manufacturing practice (GMP). The minister spoke with ZEBULON AGOMUO, Deputy Editor, on the implication of the feat for the country, and how government can assist other pharmaceutical firms to attain that height. Excerpts:

You made a visit to Swipha’s factory last Saturday, what can you say of the standard and quality of what they have?

Obviously, it is the best pharmaceutical company in Nigeria, the whole of West Africa sub-region to have achieved the global manufacturing product certification from the World Health Organisation. To gain that kind of certification is extremely rigorous.

What is the implication of this feat for the country?

What it means is that we can do it in Nigeria, all of us- government, private sector, the whole country- we need to work together; we need to believe in ourselves. It is not an easy undertaking; we need to set our minds on excellence. So, I am impressed that Swipha has been able to do that and I am asking other pharmaceutical companies to follow suit. It is a huge feat. It is a great achievement for the company, for me, and I think it is a greater achievement for the country.

Talking about other companies following suit, how do you think government can assist other companies in the industry in this regard?

Well, we have been doing our best in the area of collaboration. Our first collaboration with Swipha for instance was that we facilitated the World Health Organisation’s visit. Again, for you to move up after the initial pre-qualification stage, you need to spend money. There were things WHO asked them to do; they asked them to change the configuration of the factory for instance. It cost them a lot of money. Also, government facilitates credit for them; government assists them to borrow at a reasonable rate. Now, they have achieved it. Government being virtually the biggest spender in the economy should also patronise them (Swipha). As the minister of health, I have given them my words. The achievement itself is a spin-off of a meeting Mr. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had some time ago with all the regulatory agencies, not only in the health sector. He made it clear that the regulatory bodies can come in, not only as an umpire or as a judge, but as a facilitator. For instance, NAFDAC must work like police, but do what a policeman should do, and that is to show the way.

Some people are citing the high cost of doing business in the country as a major reason for not achieving such certification yet…?

Well, we can’t all go and die because someone said that. We work toward it and that’s what government is doing. For instance, look at power, to have the kind of automated factory like the one at Swipha, power, cheap power is of essence. Let the private sector bring in their efficiency in the power sector. Now, the present administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has done it. No other person did it. Now people are saying that they are not seeing the transformation in the power sector. My question is, must you see a result immediately in one day? We’ve begun. It is not when a child is born that it starts walking and running. No. There are processes. A child does not take part 100 metres dash until it has matured enough to do so. We have started and we’ll continue to move forward. The truth is that many good things are happening in the country today despite the distractions. Government is trying to remain focused. I believe we are rebuilding. We built before, but somehow the foundation was not what it ought to be. Things totally collapsed at a point, and now we are rebuilding from the scratch to ensure that the foundation should be what it is supposed to be. People who are given to cynicism can still go ahead and doubt, the truth is that so many fundamentals are being addressed by government.

How can a company like Swipha have access to the Global Fund?

Currently, I am a member of the Global Fund.

So, how do you hope to use your influence to assist in attracting such funds?

I don’t need to influence them. I will just tell them the good story. For you to be patronised by the Global Fund, you need to be WHO certificated. Your products need to be pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation.  Now, Swipha has achieved that. It is a milestone. And that used to be the excuse of people when I asked them ‘why are you not patronising our local products’? But now that Swipha has obtained the recognition, it is now qualified for the fund. There are no more excuses; it is now time for the company to be part of the international pharmaceutical companies that should enjoy such funds. But you must let them know the exact areas you need the fund. You know the areas global fund is working/focusing- HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.

Medical personnel, particularly doctors, are not happy that the National Health Bill is not passed. This is one of the reasons they are threatening strike. What actually is happening to the Bill?

I am neither the president of the Senate nor the speaker of the House of Representatives. So, I cannot answer that. But I know that our National Assembly is very competent. I mean the National Assembly has done well. Since the Senate has already passed it, the House of Reps has also given us its assurance that the Bill will soon be passed, I don’t think it is any reason anybody should go on strike. This is because by the time they go on strike, by the time the Bill will be passed all the patients would have died, who then would they use the Bill for?