2016
The Challenge
Maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) are priorities for the PQM program. The PQM Core MNCH team works to increase the availability of quality-assured products for mothers, infants and children through its work with manufacturers and the global health community.
Our Strategy
In Nigeria, PQM supported MNCH by providing technical assistance to Nigerian manufacturers that produce oral rehydration salts, zinc sulfate tablets, and chlorhexidine digluconate gel—considered priority commodities according to the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children.
Results
These manufacturers, in turn, provided these quality-assured essential medicines not only to the market but also to 10 health organizations for interventions across Nigeria as well as in other African countries.
The supply of locally produced quality-assured MNCH medicines increased through technical assistance to 12 local manufacturers to improve compliance with international and national good manufacturing practice standards. As a result, PQM-supported local manufacturer Chi Pharmaceuticals was selected by the United Nations Children’s Fund to procure zinc/oral rehydration salts to four countries, with orders expected to supply additional African countries as well. Two public health organizations, the Society for Family Health and Crown Agents, also procured 337,840 zinc/oral rehydration salt packs from Chi Pharmaceuticals for public health interventions in Nigeria. PQM supported Chi to submit a dossier for zinc dispersible tablets, an essential micronutrient, to WHO and currently awaits the outcome from WHO Prequalification for the product. Another local manufacturer, Drugfield Pharmaceuticals, was chosen by four public health organizations to procure chlorhexidine throughout Nigeria and also selected by three public health organizations to implement public health interventions across Africa.