The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has alerted Nigerians about a suspected substandard cough syrup called ‘Naturcold‘ which has caused number of deaths in Cameroon.
NAFDAC in a press statement, disclosed that the product is not authorized for marketing in Cameroon and was purchased from unauthorized sources.
The cough syrup which is said to be manufactured by Fraken Group is believed to have caused the deaths of six children under the age of five at a health facility in the health district of Fundong, in the North-West region of Cameroon.
According to reports, Information made available by the North-West regional of Cameroon delegate for public health, the children showed a decrease in kidney function after consuming the suspected substandard cough syrup.
The statement stated that although the product is not in the NAFDAC database, importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers are advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale, and use of the substandard contaminated syrups, stressing that all medical product’s authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked and must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers.
NAFDAC has advised members of the public to desist from purchasing medicinal products from unauthorized sources such as roadside vendors and street hawkers as fake drugs are mostly smuggled into the country from neighboring countries and distributed through such inappropriate channels.
Story: Hilda Katu