This development followed the Health Ministry’s instructions to hospitals and clinics to stop using syrup paracetamol while it investigates an outbreak of acute kidney injury that has killed dozens of children.
The release reads:
“The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is hereby releasing this statement following the reported deaths of children from Acute Kidney Injury by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the 7th of September 2022.
The information from the Ministry of Health stated that some Paracetamol Syrups have been suspected to be responsible for the AKI in children leading to reported deaths. However, recent data provided to MCA is insufficient to make an informed decision or warrants a general ban, cancelation or suspension, or recall of all the brands of Paracetamol syrups.
Due to the serious nature of the situation, therefore, the MCA urges all the importers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers of all brands of Paracetamol Syrups to be put under quarantine with immediate effect and to stop their distribution and sale whilst the investigations are ongoing.
The MCA is currently working together with MOH and WHO Officers handling the investigations to get more comprehensive information on the specific products suspected; In addition, MCA has involved the WHO at the higher level for urgent support and facilitation for quality control analysis of the products. Some of the samples have now been sent to accredited laboratories abroad for urgent quality control analysis and we, therefore, await the results after which the appropriate action and feedback will be communicated.”
Signed:
Markieu Janneh Kaira
Executive Director
Medicines Control Agency
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