In Nigeria, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, has warned healthcare providers and the public against the use of four substandard cough syrups linked to the death of 66 children in Gambia.
Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye raised the alarm on Tuesday at a press briefing in the nation's capital, Abuja.
She stated that the products, manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, had failed to provide guarantees about their safety.
Although the products identified in the Gambia are not yet registered by NAFDAC and as such should not be in circulation, Professor Adeyeye noted that they may have been distributed through informal markets, to other countries or regions, thereby making the agency increase its vigilance.
She implored importers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and stakeholders to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale, and use of substandard cough syrups.
