Gambian government ordered the suspension of the sales of paracetamol syrups after the deaths of dozens of children in the country.
The government has began a probe following a spike in acute
kidney injury among children under the age of 5 that has led to the death of
dozens of children possibly linked to the usage of paracetamol syrup.
On Tuesday, the country ordered importers and shops to
suspend sales of all brands of paracetamol syrup while the government
investigates a suspected link between the medicine and the deaths.
The Gambia’s director of health services, Mustapha Bittaye,
confirmed to Reuters on Thursday that, “some children under the age of 5 had
died in the last 3 months, saying autopsies suggest the possibility of
paracetamol.”
By early August, 28 children had died, according to health
ministry figures, a fatality rate of nearly 90%.
Bittaye said that the number was much higher now.
Medicines Control Agency (MCA) in charge of regulating
medicines said there was insufficient data to warrant a general ban on
paracetamol syrups.
Although the MCA did not mention any specific brand but said
some samples had been sent abroad for quality control testing.
The children suffered symptoms including an inability to
pass urine, fever and vomiting that quickly led to kidney failure.
Last week, the World Health Organisation officials said the
evidence pointed not to paracetamol but to an infectious origin such as
polluted water, but emphasised there were many unanswered questions.
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