In a significant move aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery in Cross River State, the State House of Assembly has repealed the Essential Drugs Programme Law of 2002 and passed the Drugs and Health Commodities Management Agency Bill 2025 into law.
The bill, sponsored by Hillary Bisong, member representing Boki 2 State Constituency and Chief Whip of the House, was first introduced during plenary on September 12, 2024. It received its second reading on September 18, 2024, before being referred to the House Committee on Health, Nutrition, and Food Security for further legislative review.
Bisong, who also chairs the Health Committee, noted that the new law builds on the foundation of the Essential Drugs Programme introduced by the World Health Organization in 1981 and domesticated by the State in 2002.
He said that while many key provisions from the previous law were preserved, the new legislation adopts a more robust and modernized framework.
“Following a detailed examination, the Committee observed that the proposed bill provides a more comprehensive and contemporary structure for managing drugs and health commodities. It moves from a programme-based approach to a full-fledged agency model, thereby broadening its operational scope to better address today’s healthcare delivery challenges,” Bisong stated.
He highlighted the core advantages of the bill, including the enforcement of standards for the management and distribution of drugs and health commodities statewide. The agency will also oversee the regulation and circulation of medical devices, aids, equipment, chemicals, reagents, vaccines, and related materials.
According to Bisong, the new agency will be responsible for the efficient operation of the central drug receipt and distribution system and will play a pivotal role in strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly at the local government level.
During plenary, lawmakers unanimously supported the bill, affirming that the establishment of the agency would not only enhance the performance of the existing Health Insurance Scheme but also generate employment opportunities for citizens.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, commended the passage of the bill and reaffirmed the 10th Assembly’s commitment to enacting people-oriented legislation that supports good governance.
