The minister of state for health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, has stated that Nigeria cannot take orders from the World Health Organization on the steps to take in the fight against Coronavirus.
The Minister said this a day after the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said Nigeria would continue the trial use of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of Coronavirus patients even after the WHO had announced the suspension of the solidarity trial.
Speaking at the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday, May 27, Mamora stated that the WHO provides guidance and guidelines and does not dictate because every country has its own peculiarities.
He said “We are still working on drugs. Don’t forget that even the hydroxychloroquine is still being worked on as we speak. It’s important for us to make it clear that the WHO does not dictate to countries as to what to do. They only provide guidance and guidelines, not dictate, because the reality is that each country is expected to look at those realities on the ground and leave room for innovation, flexibility and adaptation as dictated by the realities on the ground in each country. So we’re still looking at the issues of drugs; we are still looking at the issues of the vaccine as well, also in the areas of research. One of the researches that have come out of our own situation is establishing that what we have here is the same strain in Wuhan.”