The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medicine security in Africa: Nigeria as a case study

Abstract

COVID-19 is an unprecedented pandemic posing major threat to global public health. In the past decades of years or so, one could have heard of how dangerous it is to be virtually reliant on medicine supply from other countries. Nonetheless, no action was taken because it seemed to many that the global trade system was operational and Nigerians as well as citizens of African countries appear to have sufficient supply of the medications required at quite appealing cost. Currently in 2020, this apprehension has revolved from an imaginary problem to an actual challenge that might have consequences for millions nationwide due to COVID-19 pandemic. Now, African countries can realize that putting all our eggs in one basket was not such a good idea. In Nigeria, over 70% of the prescribed medications are produced from active ingredients (API) primarily sourced from firms in China and India. Access to medicine is an integral part of healthcare systems, uninterrupted access to medicine is much needed and essential for the well-being of the population. We are now approaching the conclusion that it is more reasonable to probably invest a little more to resuscitate a domestic pharmaceutical synthesis and herbal medicine research capacity in Nigeria and across African countries to improve public health.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumers’ Access to Essential Medicines in Nigeria

“…Access to medicine is an important component of good healthcare systems, and with uninterrupted access to medicine, improving the health outcome of the population is likely to be achieved. 11 In Nigeria, the lockdown which was accompanied with the closure of borders and travel ban across states led to a significant drop in the quantity of essential medicines in the health facilities, making it difficult for consumers to get the medicines they need. The COVID-19 pandemic also caused an increase in the prices of medicines, hand sanitizers, face masks, personal protective equipment, and other medical equipment used for providing health care.…”

“…Access to medicine is an important component of good healthcare systems, and with uninterrupted access to medicine, improving the health outcome of the population is likely to be achieved. 11 …”

Early geography of the coronavirus disease outbreak in Nigeria

“…Initially, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak on the 30th of January, 2020, as a Public Health Emergency of international concern but later it was labeled as a pandemic on the 11th of March 2020. Within this period, most countries of the world including Nigeria had started recording cases of COVID-19 disease (Akande-Sholabi and Adebisi 2020 ; Amzat et al 2020 ; Bowale et al 2020 ; Ohia et al 2020 ; Olapegba and Ayandele 2020 ). The pandemic has since then plunged the global economy and the entire means of production into an entirely new era of uncharted terrain going by the unpredictability of the outbreak and unavailability of data as to R 0 of the infection.…”

Rural communities in Africa should not be forgotten in responses to COVID‐19

“…Other challenges, such as shortage of drugs, 6 lack of equipment and limited diagnostic testing capacity, to very few primary healthcare centres, may also pose an additional threat to responses in rural Africa. Therefore, these problems contribute massively to the figures depicting problematic health service delivery in Africa in entirety.…”

“…Other challenges, such as shortage of drugs, 6 lack of equipment and limited diagnostic testing capacity, to very few primary healthcare centres, may also pose an additional threat to responses in rural Africa. Therefore, these Poor hand hygiene and living conditions in some of the rural communities in Africa may also make containment challenging.…”