The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned healthcare providers and the public against the use of four substandard and contaminated cough syrups which have caused the death of 66 children in Gambia.
They include Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip Cold Syrup.It disclosed that the dangerous paediatric cough syrups were being circulated in Gambia.
In a public health advisory issued by NAFDAC yesterday, it stated it never registered the medicines, therefore it should not be in circulation in the country.The advisory added: “We are notifying healthcare providers and the public of the death of 66 children in Gambia following the use of four substandard cough syrups as reported by WHO in September 2022.
In a statement on Sunday, Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC director-general, said all batches of the syrups should be considered unsafe.
According to NAN, she said the products are not registered by NAFDAC and should, therefore, not be in circulation.
Adeyeye implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale and use of substandard cough syrups.
She also advised members of the public in possession of the listed products to discontinue their sale or use and submit their stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.
“If you have these substandard products, please do not use them. If you or someone you know have used them or suffered any adverse reaction/event, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional,” the statement reads.
The director general encouraged healthcare professionals and consumers to report any suspicion of adverse drug reactions and substandard medicines to NAFDAC via 0800-162-3322.
It explained that Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and could prove fatal.According to NAFDAC, toxic effects could include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
NAFDAC, therefore, declared that Nigerians should consider all batches of these products as unsafe and should not be used.
“The substandard products in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death.”
It also stated that the products are not registered by NAFDAC, and therefore should not be in circulation in Nigeria. “To date, these four products have been identified in The Gambia, but may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions.”
NAFDAC implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to exercise caution
and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale and
use of substandard pediatric cough syrups.
It advised that all medical products must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers and the products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.
“Additionally, members of the public in possession of the above-listed products are advised to discontinue sale or use and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.
“If you have these substandard products, please do not use them. If you, or someone you know, have used these products or suffered any adverse reaction/event after use, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
“Healthcare professionals and consumers are encouraged to report any suspicion of
adverse drug reaction and substandard and falsified medicines to NAFDAC.”
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