Sola Ogundipe and Chioma Obinna
13 January 2009
EVEN with the exit of Prof. Dora Akunyili as Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC), there will be no respite for fraudsters engaged in the manufacture, importation and distribution of fake, adulterated, substandard and counterfeit food and drug products as the Agency has vowed to be commited to safeguarding the health and safety of Nigerian consumers.
Giving this indication last week in Lagos, erstwhile Acting DG, Mrs. Doris Amlai said the war against fake/counterfeit medicines and other unwholesome regulated products ramained as solid as ever.
Amlai who held fort as acting DG before the appointment of the substantive new DG in the person of Dr Paul Ohii,l said Akunyili's sterling achievements in the fight against counterfeit medicines and other unwholesome regulated products will be sustained and improved upon to bring the incidence of counterfeit medicines to the barest minimum in our country.
"The fight against fake/counterfeit medicines, unwholesome foods and other substandard regulated products in Nigeria is not over," she warned. The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is fully determined to continue this fight to finish.
This is not a fight of the Agency alone. It is a fight that requires the support of all well meaning citizens of this nation. NAFDAC will continue to provide evidence based scientific information that will guide the public in making informed choices at the point of purchasing or using regulated products."
Giving an update on the contaminated "My Pikin Teething Mixture" saga which allegedly caused the death of some children recently, she said as at the last count, 51 deaths were officially reported nationwide.
"Laboratory analysis of samples of the product revealed that batches 2008, 1708 and 1908 contained 61 - 97 pr cen "Diethylene Glycol" (DEC) which was suspected to have caused the death of the children."
According to Amlai, a total of 5,334 100 mls bottles of the product have been mopped up from circulation while Barewa Pharmaceuticals Limited, Lagos, the manufacturer of contaminated product remains shut.
She said newer tests carried out on imported batches of propylene glycol revealed that five of them were contaminated with the deadly diethylene glycol.
The products had been confiscated and would be destroyed eventually, she announced. Results from random sampling and analysis of various brands of paracetamol syrup in the market, makes it possible for the Agency to ronounce that registered paracetamol syrup are safe for use.
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