Consumer Safety: NAFDAC issues measures to prevent contaminated cough syrups in Nigeria

*Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, implores importers, distributors, retailers and product consumers to exercise vigilance within the supply chain to avoid importation, distribution, sales and use of the substandard cough syrups

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As part of the regulatory agency’s consumer protection measures to safeguard the health of Nigerians, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disclosed it instituted measures at various ports of entry to prevent the reported contaminated cough syrups from entering into the country.

ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, told reporters at a press conference Tuesday, October 11, 2022, in Abuja, FCT.

Recall the health sector regulator, Sunday had issued an alert with No. 040/2022 about some contaminated cough syrups circulating in The Gambia, a neighbouring African country.

The syrups were identified as Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.

According to NAGDAC, the syrups were reportedly manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, an Indian company, but had failed to provide guarantees about the safety of the cough syrups.

However, following the development, the NAFDAC Director-general noted that the agency had put appropriate measures at the various ports of entry to curtail the entry of these syrups into Nigeria.

NAFDAC had activated its internal surveillance mechanisms to mop up these products from the supply chain pipeline if they were ever found, said Prof. Adeyeye.

She said that as a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) programme on International drug monitoring, NAFDAC would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that these products did not cause harm to Nigerian consumers.

According to Adeyeye, the cough syrups had killed 66 children in The Gambia, and that interviews conducted on the bereaved parents in the Gambia by health authorities and law enforcement agencies revealed how their children were not able to pass urine after taking the syrups.

She further said: “Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are restricted chemicals which are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal.

“These chemicals are closely related in chemical structure to propylene glycol which is the right vehicle for use in the manufacture of paediatric syrups.

“Poor quality control might have led to non- detection of these dangerous products and hence the fatality we have on our hands in The Gambia.”

The Director-General, however, said that the four cough syrups in questions were not registered by the NAFDAC, as she urged consumers Nigerians to be cautious.

She as well implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to exercise vigilance within the supply chain to avoid importation, distribution, sales and use of the substandard cough syrups.

All medical products must be obtained from authorised/licensed suppliers, adding that the product authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked, Adeyeye stated.