“Six People Already Dead”: NAFDAC Raises The Alarm Over Killer Cough Medicine
- NAFDAC Director General Mojisola Adeyeye has warned Nigerians about the presence of fake cough syrup
- She said the syrup, NATURCOLD, has killed six children in Cameroon
- The children showed signs of decreased kidney functions, the DG quoted Cameroonian authorities as saying
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned Nigerians about a killer cough syrup in Nigeria known as NATURCOLD.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, and stated that the medicines has already claimed the lives of six children in Cameroon.
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Fake medicines brought into Nigeria via neighboring countries
The NAFDAC DG said the cough syrup was not in the agency’s database and asked importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers to be cautious and vigilant in the supply chain.
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She asked importers, distributors, and consumers to avoid importing and consuming substandard syrup.
She stated that fake medicines were smuggled into Nigeria from neighbouring countries and distributed through black market channels.
She asked sellers and distributors possessing the killer syrup to submit it to the nearest NAFDAC offices nationwide.
She said:
“If you know anyone who has used these products or suffered any adverse reaction after use, such person is advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.’’
Reports said the the NAFDAC boss also asked healthcare workers and consumers to report any suspicious sales and use of fake and falsified medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office.
According to Adeyeye, Cameroon’s Ministry of Public Health has warned about the substandard NATURCOLD.
Symptoms of the fake medicine
Per the NAFDAC DG, the death of the six victims of the cough syrup was recorded at a health facility in the district of Fundong, North-West region of Cameroon.
Children who took the syrup showed a reduction in kidney function, Adeyeye quoted Cameroonian health officials as saying.
She asked healthcare workers and patients to report side effects of medical products to the nearest NAFDAC office or via e-reporting channels, www.nafdac.gov.ng, and pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng.
Other killer medicines on the prowl
In October 2022, the agency warned Nigerians against the use of substandard cough syrups.
It named Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup as killer syrups.
The agency said all batches of the syrup should be considered unsafe, adding that any product not registered with the agency should cease to be in circulation.
Nigeria dealt a heavy blow as WHO fails to shortlist the country for 1st round of Pfizer vaccine.
Legit.ng reported that the World Health Organisation (WHO) did not shortlist Nigeria for the first round of supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine following the country’s inability to meet specific criteria.
Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said Nigeria does not meet the standard requirement of being able to store the vaccine at the required minus 70 degrees Celsius.
Moeti said that only four African countries were shortlisted in the first supply of 320,000 vaccines out of the 13 that applied.
Source: Legit.ng
