Doctor Oyebanji Filani, the chairman of the Nigerian Health Commissioners’ Forum, has cautioned Nigerians against using certain cough syrups after they caused the deaths of more than 66 children in the West African nation of Gambia.
Oyebanji, who is the Ekiti State health commissioner, listed the syrups as “Promethazine Oral Solution BP, Kofexmalin- Baby Cough syrup, MAKOFF Baby and MaGrip n Cold Syrup;” and urged Nigerians to be on the lookout for the drugs.
NHCF, in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday titled, ‘Health commissioners’ forum warns against use of four contaminated cough syrups’, charged parents whose children had symptoms such as diarrhoea and headache to seek the advice of health professionals.
Oyebanji claimed that the World Health Organisation had ordered the medications to be taken out of circulation in order to stop additional damage.
He stated; “WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyasus, noted that these syrups contain two toxic products usually used as a solvent and anti-freeze agent which have been confirmed to cause acute kidney injuries among children.
“The WHO added that the toxic products are colourless and almost odourless, which makes it difficult to detect.”
The director general of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, acknowledged that the aforementioned medications were not registered in Nigeria, the NHCF chairman continued.
Oyebanji also stated, “The forum will continue to work with NAFDAC and other relevant authorities to ensure that such products if found in the country, are taken off the shelf to ensure the safety of all Nigerians.”
He urged everyone to take personal responsibility for completely removing such harmful products from circulation if found either from their pharmaceutical and patent medicine stores or their various homes in Nigeria. He also reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to promoting Nigerians’ health and well-being.