Over N1 billion HIV drugs expired in storage — Minister of Health

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has revealed that $3.2m (N1.08bn) worth of HIV drugs expired in storage.

Adewole said this while delivering a speech at the ‘Dissemination Meeting of 2016 National Health Facility Survey’ in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said clinical competence and knowledge of healthcare workers,  availability of drugs and basic equipment,  and management and supervision of healthcare facilities were essential to the improvement of the health sector.

The minister said, “Availability of commodities is also important. We have mentioned inadequate funding which is a major factor but it is not the only reason for the out of stock of commodities. Better management is also important.

“We are living witnesses to the challenges we face with the HIV programme where drugs worth about $3.2m expired. So, it is not a question of the drugs not being available. Sometimes the drugs are there but we don’t give it to them (patients) and then they expire.”

Culled from ThePunch