Drug management agencies in Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have announced the recall of children’s cough syrup from Johnson & Johnson (USA) in these markets.
According to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Africa, drug management agencies in Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have announced the recall of children’s cough syrup from Johnson & Johnson (USA) in these markets.
The above move is considered a preventive measure, after the Nigerian regulatory agency said tests showed that the above batch of pharmaceuticals had a high concentration of toxicity.
In a statement on April 15, Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority spokesperson Gaudensia Simwanza said the recall was intended to “ensure removal of the affected drugs from the market.”
Similarly, the Rwanda Food and Drug Administration said that the safety assessment has not yet recorded any side effects of the drug. Even so, the agency still issued a recall order as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Medicines Control Agency said it has no record of importing Johnson & Johnson children’s cough syrup into the country, and is concerned that the drug could enter the market. school illegally. Previously, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa also recalled similar batches of syrup.
Tests conducted by Nigerian health authorities on a batch of Benylin Paediatric brand cough syrup (produced by Johnson & Johnson in South Africa in May 2021) showed high levels of diethylene glycol. This active ingredient is believed to be linked to dozens of child deaths in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon since 2022 – one of the world’s worst outbreaks of oral drug poisoning.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the acceptable limit for diethylene glycol is no more than 0.1%.
Pharmaceutical experts say many companies, greedy for profits, have replaced propylene glycol – an ingredient used in cough syrup – with other cheaper but toxic substances such as ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. These substances can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, mental status changes, acute kidney injury, and many other symptoms. Severe poisoning can lead to death.
Kenvue – an American company specializing in the field of health care and currently owning the Benylin brand has not yet provided any feedback. Kenvue was once a healthcare division of Johnson & Johnson.
