THE Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has urged medical professionals and citizens to be on high alert after the World Health Organisation (WHO) red-flagged four paediatric drugs linked to the recent death of 69 children in The Gambia in West Africa.
In a statement, MCAZ acting director Richard Rukwata said
the four products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup,
Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
According to WHO, the medicines were manufactured by Maiden
Pharmaceuticals Limited of Haryana of India and imported into some countries in
Africa.
The WHO medical product alert, Number 6/2022, said the products
were first identified in The Gambia and a report was filed last month.
Rukwata said the products contained harmful ingredients
that had toxic effects.
“To date, the stated manufacturer has not provided
guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products. These products
are reported to contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene
glycol as contaminants. To date, these four products have been identified in
the Gambia, but may have been distributed through informal markets to other
countries,” read the statement.
Rukwata said toxic effects of the syrups included abdominal
pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental
state and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
He warned that given that the products were not registered,
they were highly likely to be smuggled into the country.
“The authority wishes to inform health professionals and
members of the public that those products are not registered in Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, the manufacturer is not registered in Zimbabwe and the authority
has not authorised any importation of any products from this manufacturer.
“However, through illegal means, these products may find
their way into the local market. As a precautionary measure, the authority will
intensify its market surveillance activities through strict premises inspection
and public awareness to ensure that these products are not circulated.
“In the unlikely event that members of the public are in
possession of and/or come across these products, please notify the authority or
healthcare provider immediately and desist from administering them to
children,” Rukwata said.
This comes as the Health ministry has also warned against
consumption of a South African Purity baby product found to contain traces of
toxic asbestos.
Both Health deputy minister John Mangwiro and ministry
spokesperson Donald Mujiri could not be reached for comment last night. Newsday
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