The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has informed healthcare professionals and the general public about the deaths of 66 children in the Gambia as a result of the usage of four subpar cough syrups, as reported by the WHO in September 2022.
The four items are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
Laboratory examination of samples of the four goods reveals that they are contaminated with diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in unacceptable concentrations.
When taken by people, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are fatally poisonous.
Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
The stated manufacturer of these products is Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India). To date, the stated manufacturer.