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  • Gambia - Government investigates as children die of mysterious disease - WHO issues a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines

    GOV’T INVESTIGATES AS CHILDREN DIE OF MYSTERIOUS DISEASE

    AUGUST 4, 2022

    By Lamin Cham

    The Epidemiology and Disease Control Unit of the Ministry of Health and the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital have launched an investigation into the sudden emergence of a mysterious sickness affecting mainly small children from many parts of the country.

    According to reliable medical sources, in the past few weeks and days, several children were received at various health centres with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting and in several cases inability to urinate due to kidney malfunction.

    Our source further revealed that almost fifty percent of those affected have died. According to our source, cases have been reported from different areas of the country prompting the authorities to start an urgent investigation into the problem.
    ...
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

  • #2
    WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
    AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

    Week 33: 8 - 14 August 2022
    Data as reported by: 17:00; 14 August 2022

    ...
    All events currently being monitored by WHO AFRO
    ...
    Gambia Undiagnosed disease (acute renal failure) Ungraded

    Date notified to WCO 11-Aug-22
    Start of reporting period 4-Jul-22
    End of reporting period 4-Aug-22

    Total cases 19
    Cases Confirmed
    Deaths 17
    CFR 89,50%


    On 1 August 2022, the Epidemic and Disease Control Unit of the Ministry of Health in Gambia reported an unusual event detected at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, the main tertiary hospital in the country. Nineteen cases with 17 deaths have been reported. The median age is 17 years old and range from five to 46 months.
    The index case was traced to 4 July. Patients presented with symptoms such as inability to urinate (100% of cases), fever (100% of cases), vomiting (91%), and diarrhoea (55%). All children had an acute onset of symptoms, and clinical progression was rapid. Preliminary investigation was conducted to identify contacts of the cases. No similar illness among other siblings of similar age or other household members was detected. Further investigation is ongoing.

    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

    Comment


    • #3
      September 8, 2022
      10:32 AM CST
      Last Updated a day ago

      Gambia probes link between dozens of child deaths and paracetamol syrup

      By Edward Mcallister and Pap Saine

      BANJUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - ...
      ...
      Gambia's director of health services, Mustapha Bittaye, told Reuters that a number of patients began to fall ill with kidney problems three to five days after taking a paracetamol syrup sold locally. It was not yet clear if any particular brand of paracetamol, used by parents in many countries to treat fevers in children, was under investigation.

      E. coli bacteria was also a possible cause, Bittaye said.
      ...
      By early August, 28 children had died, according to health ministry figures, with a fatality rate of nearly 90%. The number of fatalities is now much higher, said Bittaye.
      ....

      https://www.reuters.com/world/africa...ol-2022-09-08/



      -------------------------------------------------
      Lamin Jahateh@LmnJahateh


      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
      -Nelson Mandela

      Comment


      • #4
        September 9, 2022

        By AFP - Agence France Presse

        The Gambia's Health Ministry has asked hospitals to stop using syrup paracetamol after at least 28 children died of kidney failure.

        "We have clinical evidence to suspect syrup paracetamol may be one of the culprits," Mustapha Bittaye, the director of health services, told AFP Friday.

        "We are advising our staff on the medicines to give while awaiting the conclusion of the investigation", the director added.

        ... country's regional health directors, hospital chief executives, and clinics this week, Bittaye cited E. coli as another possible cause ...

        Comment


        • #5
          Gambia probes link between dozens of child deaths and paracetamol syrup

          09 September 2022 - 09:39
          BY EDWARD MCALLISTER AND PAP SAINE

          ... A spike in cases of acute kidney injury among children under the age of five was detected in late July. As cases mounted, doctors began to suspect medicines could be involved.

          Gambia's director of health services, Mustapha Bittaye, told Reuters that a number of patients began to fall ill with kidney problems three to five days after taking a paracetamol syrup sold locally. It was not yet clear if any particular brand of paracetamol, used by parents in many countries to treat fevers in children, was under investigation.

          ... By early August, 28 children had died, according to health ministry figures, with a fatality rate of nearly 90%. The number of fatalities is now much higher, said Bittaye.

          An official updated tally is expected in the coming days.

          "Dozens of children have died in the last three months," Bittaye told Reuters by phone. "Autopsies suggest the possibility of paracetamol."

          'QUITE UNUSUAL'

          World Health Organisation officials said the evidence points not to paracetomol but to an infectious origin such as polluted water, though there are many unanswered questions.

          "It is quite unusual because it is confined to only one age group. Normally you see different age groups affected. That is why we are trying to investigate everything," said Sharmila Lareef-Jah, a disease prevention specialist at the WHO in Gambia.

          Samples of the drugs that the children took have been sent to toxicology labs in Senegal and Ghana for testing. Results are expected early next week, Lareef-Jah said.

          Gambia's government is investigating whether the deaths of dozens of young children from kidney failure in recent months are linked to paracetamol syrup, the head of the country's health service said on Thursday.


          Comment


          • #6
            Translation Google

            In The Gambia, the mysterious deaths of dozens of children with acute kidney failure

            The authorities have opened an investigation to try to explain this phenomenon, citing flooding and taking paracetamol in syrup as possible causes.

            Le Monde with AFP
            Posted today at 10:04 a.m.

            US experts are expected in The Gambia in the coming days to assist health services after the mysterious deaths of dozens of children with acute kidney failure. A sudden increase in cases among children aged 5 months to 4 years has led to the death of at least 28 of them, says a report from the Ministry of Health dated August 8.

            Authorities have opened an investigation and cited E. coli bacteria and taking syrup containing paracetamol as possible causes. The ministry again evokes one and the other as possible suspects in a press release received on Sunday, September 11 by an AFP correspondent. It covers the floods that have hit this tropical country in recent weeks in the middle of the rainy season.

            "The Gambia has experienced the heaviest rains in its recent history ," the ministry said. The rains overflowed sewers and latrines, spilled faeces into stagnant water and contaminated many water points. “The number of cases of severe kidney disease has increased since July 2022 with a high mortality rate among children, mainly after the occurrence of diarrhoea ,” the ministry said.

            Hygiene instructions

            E. coli bacteria were detected in the stools of many children, but many had also taken paracetamol syrup, the ministry said. But “paracetamol in syrup has caused kidney disease in some countries,” he says. “We are therefore suspending the use of paracetamol in syrup throughout the country, while the necessary examinations are carried out ,” adds the ministry.

            The various health services cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef. And experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the lead US federal public health protection agency, are expected in the coming days, the department says. This one calls the public to strict hygiene and frequent hand washing. He asks parents not to leave children in contact with stagnant water. He recommends boiling water intended for consumption and thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables.

            The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa with just over 2 million inhabitants, is 174th out of 191 according to the UN's human development index, which aggregates criteria of health, education and quality of life. Nearly half of the population there lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
            -Nelson Mandela

            Comment


            • #7
              WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
              AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

              Week 39: 19 - 25 September 2022
              Data as reported by: 17:00; 25 September 2022
              ...

              Acute kidney injury secondary to Escherichia Coli infection Gambia

              75 cases
              50 Deaths
              66.7% CFR


              EVENT DESCRIPTION

              On 1 August 2022, the Epidemic and Disease Control Unit of
              the Ministry of Health in the Gambia reported an unusual event
              detected at a Teaching Hospital. A nephrologist at that hospital
              reported an unusual increased incidence of acute kidney injury
              (AKI) of unknown aetiology. A case definition was developed
              following which a retrospective analysis of hospital records was
              conducted to 19 June 2022. This revealed additional cases, with
              the index case traced to 4 July 2022.

              As of 23 September 2022, at least 75 cases have been reported
              among young children aged one month to seven years from six
              of the seven health regions in the country: Western Region 1 (32
              cases) and 2 (19 cases) (WR 1&2), Upper River Region (URR)
              (13 cases), Lower River Region (LRR) (1 case), North Bank West
              Region (NBWR) (1 case), and Central River Region (CRR) (4
              cases). The remaining five cases are being classified. Most of the
              cases (86%) are from three health regions (WR 1&2 and URR),
              and over 80% were less than two years old. A total of 50 deaths
              have been reported, resulting in a case fatality ratio of 66.7%.

              The clinical features among the cases include fever followed
              by anuria (in 81% of cases), vomiting (61%), diarrhoea (51%)
              and cough (10%). The average duration of illness was nine days
              (range 5-18 days). A laboratory test confirmed AKI in 40% of
              children who had a kidney function test. In addition, of those who
              had a complete blood count (40%) test done, the white blood
              cell counts (predominantly granulocytes) was elevated in 60% of
              cases, but normal in 40% of cases. and routine urine tests were
              normal (dip stick and microscopy).

              Stool samples from children with similar clinical symptoms
              to AKI cases (fever, vomiting and diarrhoea) were negative for
              rotavirus and Vibrio cholerae. However, 38 (61%) out of 62
              stool samples (from children with similar clinical presentation
              as AKI cases) tested positive for Escherichia Coli (E. coli.). Two
              samples were positive for Shiga toxin- producing E. coli (O157).
              Whole-genome sequencing of E. coli to identify lineage was also
              done and is awaiting interpretation. Water quality assessment
              tests conducted in household of children with AKI revealed the
              presence of E. coli, but were negative for heavy metals including
              mercury and lead. Additionally, increased nitrite levels mainly
              in boreholes and one major national water source (Fajara) were
              also reported. The 2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys also
              revealed the presence of E. coli in all the water points tested.

              Most of the children had received treatment before presenting
              at the referral hospital. The most common medicine was an
              antipyretic (40%), followed by antihistamine/antiemetic (7%) and
              cough syrup (6%). Nine samples of medicines taken by the children
              with AKI were sent for toxicological analysis. Results revealed
              that two out of nine medicine samples (one brand of paracetamol
              and one brand of promethazine) contained ethylene glycol, and
              diethylene glycol plus ethylene glycol, respectively. Post-mortem
              findings from two cases of AKI revealed findings consistent with
              malnutrition and renal injury with no pathognomonic signs that
              could be linked to a specific cause.

              PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS

              A case definition was developed by the Ministry of health
              with support from the WHO for case detection and the
              retrospective analysis of hospital records. The case definition
              allowed more case detection and the communication to all
              the regions on the event across the country

              Laboratory investigation for samples (stool, bloods,
              urine) collected from cases and toxicology assessment of
              medicines taken were conducted

              Measures to prevent food- and water-borne infections have
              been disseminated

              Supporting the capacity of Medicine Control Agency to
              ensure effective regulatory oversight on medicines in the
              country including market surveillance and control and
              access to quality control laboratory is ongoing

              The planning of an in-depth epidemiological investigation
              to gather additional information to confirm the etiology and
              assess potential contributing factors for the good definition
              of prevention and control measures is ongoing.

              SITUATION INTERPRETATION

              Acute kidney injury in children particularly in developing countries
              is associated with high mortality rates. Most countries including
              the Gambia do not have proper and adequate human and material
              resources to manage kidney disease requiring dialysis. This
              is the first time an acute kidney injury outbreak is reported in
              The Gambia. There is therefore an urgent need to identify the
              definitive causative agent, so that adequate measures can be put
              into place to prevent further cases as well as clinical progression
              of cases to acute kidney injury.

              "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
              -Nelson Mandela

              Comment


              • #8
                WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing – 5 October 2022

                5 October 2022
                ...
                Finally, WHO has today issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines identified in The Gambia that have been potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children.

                The loss of these young lives is beyond heartbreaking for their families.

                The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, in India.

                WHO is conducting further investigation with the company and regulatory authorities in India.

                While the contaminated products have so far only been detected in The Gambia, they may have been distributed to other countries.

                WHO recommends all countries detect and remove these products from circulation to prevent further harm to patients.



                --------------------------------------------

                Medical Product Alert N°6/2022: Substandard (contaminated) paediatric medicines

                Substandard (contaminated) paediatric medicines identified in WHO region of Africa


                5 October 2022
                Medical product alert

                Geneva

                Reading time: 2 min (455 words)
                FrançaisAlert Summary


                This WHO Medical Product Alert refers to four substandard products, identified in The Gambia and reported to WHO in September 2022. Substandard medical products are products that fail to meet either their quality standards or specifications and are, therefore "out of specification"[1].

                The four products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup. The stated manufacturer of these products is Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India). To date, the stated manufacturer has not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products.

                Laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. To date, these four products have been identified in The Gambia, but may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions.

                [1] WHO definitions: https://www.who.int/teams/regulation...nd/definitions


                Risks


                Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal

                Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.

                All batches of these products should be considered unsafe until they can be analyzed by the relevant National Regulatory Authorities.

                The substandard products referenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death.

                Advice to regulatory authorities and the public

                It is important to detect and remove these substandard products from circulation to prevent harm to patients.

                WHO requests increased surveillance and diligence within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these products. Increased surveillance of the informal/unregulated market is also advised.

                All medical products must be approved and obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked. Seek advice from a healthcare professional when in doubt.

                If you have these substandard products, please DO NOT use them. If you, or someone you know, have used these products or suffered any adverse reaction/event after use, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional and report the incident to the National Regulatory Authority or National Pharmacovigilance Centre.

                National regulatory/health authorities are advised to immediately notify WHO if these substandard products are discovered in their respective country. If you have any information concerning the manufacture or supply of these products, please contact WHO via rapidalert@who.int

                Please click here for details and photos of the substandard products referenced in Alert N°6/2022.

                Alert n°6/2022 may be updated at a later stage as and when necessary.





                WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System

                for Substandard and Falsified Medical Products

                For more information, please visit our website

                Email: rapidalert@who.int

                https://www.who.int/news/item/05-10-...tric-medicines
                Last edited by Pathfinder; October 6, 2022, 08:49 AM. Reason: Added comment
                "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                -Nelson Mandela

                Comment


                • #9
                  India Tests Samples of Cough Syrup Linked to Deaths of Children in Gambia

                  By Reuters
                  Oct. 5, 2022, at 11:01 p.m.
                  By Krishna N. Das

                  NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India is testing samples of cough syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals for exports after the World Health Organization said its products were linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, the country's health ministry said on Thursday.
                  ...
                  India's health ministry said samples of the same batch manufactured by Maiden for all four drugs has been sent for testing to a federal laboratory and the results would "guide further course of action as well as bring clarity on the inputs received/to be received from WHO."

                  It asked the WHO to share its report on "establishment of causal relation to death with the medical products in question."

                  The WHO did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

                  Anil Vij, the health minister of Haryana state where Maiden has its factories, warned of "strict action if anything is found wrong" after the tests.

                  Naresh Kumar Goyal, a Maiden director, told Reuters that it heard about the deaths only on Thursday morning and were trying to find out details.

                  "We are trying to find out the situation because it cropped up only today," he said by phone. "We are trying to find out with the buyer and all that what has happened exactly. We are not selling anything in India." He declined to speak further.
                  ...
                  Maiden, which launched its operations in November 1990, manufactured and exported the syrup only to Gambia, the Indian health ministry said. Maiden on its website says it has two manufacturing plants, in Kundli and Panipat, both near New Delhi in Haryana, and has recently set up another one.
                  ...


                  ------------------------------

                  Gambia recalls Indian-made cough syrup linked to deaths of 66 children

                  DCGA initiates probe, Haryana sends cough syrup samples to Calcutta lab

                  Published 06.10.22, 06:53 PM

                  Gambia has launched a door-to-door campaign to collect cough and cold syrups blamed for the deaths of more than 60 children from kidney injury in the tiny West African country, reports said on Thursday, reports ndtv.com

                  India's drug regulator has initiated a probe and sought further details from the WHO after the global health body issued an alert that cough syrups manufactured by an Indian firm could potentially be linked to the death of children in Gambia.
                  ...
                  Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said samples of four cough syrups manufactured by the firm have been sent to the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kolkata for examination.
                  ...
                  Vij said the cough syrups manufactured by the pharma company were approved for export. "It is not available for sale or marketing in the country."

                  "Whatever action has to be taken will be taken once the CDL report comes. Only after the report is in, we can arrive at any conclusion," Vij said.
                  ...
                  According to the sources, the WHO had on September 29 informed the Drugs Controller General of India that it was providing technical assistance and advice to Gambia.

                  It had highlighted that a significant contributing factor to the deaths was suspected to be the use of medicines which may have been contaminated with Diethylene Glycol/Ethylene Glycol, and said its presence had been confirmed in some of the samples it tested.

                  The CDSCO said it responded to the WHO within an hour-and-a-half after receiving intimation, by taking up the matter with the state regulatory authority.
                  ..
                  According to tentative results received by WHO out of the 23 samples tested, four samples have been found to contain Diethylene Glycol/ Ethylene Glycol as indicated. It has also been informed by WHO that the certificate of analysis will be made available to it in near future and WHO will share it with India.
                  ...
                  "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                  -Nelson Mandela

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    The Gambia Police Force
                    3d ·

                    STATEMENT: PRELIMINARY POLlCE INVESTIGATION REPORT INTO THE DEATH OF 66 CHILDREN IN THE GAMBIA.

                    Following the outbreak of Acute Kidney Injury which claimed the lives of at least 66 children in The Gambia, The Office of the Inspector General of Police, through its Crime Management Coordination Unit, opened a swift probe into the incident and discovered the following information.

                    It was established that Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company was granted permission to import medicines and medical-related products in The Gambia.

                    That the release of these medical products to the retailers/final consumers was immediately followed by an Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) outbreak in the Gambia resulting in the death of at least 66 children.

                    The circumstances of the deaths prompted the Ministry of Health and its stakeholders to investigate the cause(s) of death.

                    Investigations so far revealed that Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Limited ordered a quantity of 15, 000 bottles of makoff baby cough syrups of 100ml, 15, 000 bottles of magrip and cold syrups of 100ml, 10, 000 bottles of promethazine baby syrups of 100ml and 10, 000 kofexmalin baby cough syrups of 125ml. Thus, amounting to a combined total of 50, 000 bottles of contaminated baby syrups.

                    The deaths of these children are associated with four contaminated Indian-made baby syrups bearing the names Lakoff baby cough, maghrib, and cold, promethazine syrup, and kofexmalin baby cough syrups imported in the Gambia by Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Limited.

                    It is established that from the aforesaid sum of 50, 000 bottles of contaminated baby syrups, 41, 462 bottles have been quarantined/seized by MCA, and 8, 538 bottles remained unaccounted for.

                    In addition to these important revelations, our investigation team has also identified pending issues to be clarified with required evidential material and justifications.

                    While the investigation into this matter continues, the general public is once again urged to remain calm in this difficult situation.

                    The Gambia Police Force, Banjul, The Gambia. 35,162 likes · 1,155 talking about this. Its a professional Magazine which among its aims and objectives is to entertain, educate as well as informed the...
                    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                    -Nelson Mandela

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Could a US company really be involved in this horrible injury of children? The company in Atlanta is an 'Inc', not an 'Ltd'. They seem to specialize in pain control and addiction, not cough medicine for children. DNB has a listing for a 'Ltd', but I can't access. There is an 'Ltd' in Thailand, though.

                      Police investigations found that four syrups manufactured by New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd are linked to the death of 69 children in the West African country.

                      By CNBCTV18.com Oct 13, 2022, 06:56 PM IST (Published)
                      ...
                      United States-based Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd ordered 50,000 bottles of these cough syrups for export to Gambia, the police report said.


                      ANI | October 13, 2022 9:21 am
                      ...
                      According to the reports, Atlanta-based Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd which has permission to export medicines to Gambia, ordered combined syrups bottles which were purchased from Maiden Pharmaceuticals limited...
                      _____________________________________________

                      Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                      i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                      "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                      (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                      Never forget Excalibur.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
                        AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

                        Week 42: 10 - 16 October 2022
                        Data as reported by: 17:00; 16 October 2022

                        ...
                        All events currently being monitored by WHO AFRO
                        ...

                        Gambia Acute kidney injury Grade 2

                        Date notified to WCO 11-Aug-22
                        Start of reporting period 4-Jul-2022
                        End of reporting period 6-Oct-22

                        Total cases 81
                        Cases Confirmed
                        Deaths 69
                        CFR 85.2%


                        On 1 August 2022, the Epidemic and Disease Control Unit of the Ministry of Health in The Gambia reported an unusual event detected at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, the main tertiary hospital in the country. A total of 81 cases with 69 deaths ( CFR 85%) have been reported as of 6 October 2022. The median age is 17 years with a range of two to 84 months. The highest number of cases was among children under two years of age. The index case was traced to 4 July 2022. Patients presented with symptoms such as inability to urinate, fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In addition, 23 samples of medicines taken by these children were sent for toxicology testing, and four of the medicines were found to contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. Further investigation is ongoing.


                        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                        -Nelson Mandela

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          https://gambiana.com/what-do-we-know...rup-to-gambia/
                          https://www.reuters.com/world/africa...rm-2022-10-11/

                          October 20, 20225:13 PM UTC
                          Gambia police link child deaths to cough syrup imported by pharma firm
                          Reuters

                          BANJUL, Oct 11 (Reuters) - (This Oct. 11 story has been corrected to remove incorrect reference to pharmaceutical company based in United States in the first paragraph, and Atlanta in 4th & 5th paragraphs)
                          ...

                          Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd, which has permission to export medicines into Gambia, ordered a combined total of 50,000 bottles of those syrups, according to the police report. Reuters has been unable to determine where the company is based.

                          The firm is distinct from Atlanta-based Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., whose president Anthony Soscia told Reuters by email that his company "does not import or export any pharmaceuticals."...
                          But...

                          We’re making it accessible by pioneering it’s bioavailability with the direction and development of industry leaders with over 100 years of combined pharmaceutical experience.


                          https://www.georgiacompanyregistry.c...r-actives-llc/

                          https://www.importgenius.com/importe...or-actives-llc
                          _____________________________________________

                          Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                          i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                          "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                          (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                          Never forget Excalibur.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
                            AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

                            Week 52: 19 to 25 December 2022
                            Data as reported by: 17:00; 25 December 2022

                            ...
                            All events currently being monitored by WHO AFRO
                            ...
                            Gambia Acute kidney injury Grade 2

                            Date notified to WCO 11-Aug-22
                            Start of reporting period 4-Jul-22
                            End of reporting period 23-Dec-22

                            Total cases `127
                            Cases Confirmed 82
                            Deaths 70
                            CFR 55.1%


                            On 1 August 2022, the Epidemic and Disease Control Unit of the Ministry of Health in The Gambia reported an unusual event detected at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, the main tertiary hospital in the country. The highest number of cases was among children under two years of age. The index case was traced to 4 July 2022.

                            Patients presented with symptoms such as inability to urinate, fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Samples of medicines taken by these children were sent for toxicology testing, and four of the medicines were found to contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. As of 23 December 2022, 127 cases were reported including 82 confirmed, six probable and 39 sespected cases. Of the confirmed cases, 70 deaths were recorded (CFR 85.4%). The last confirmed case was identified on 5 October 2022. Response activities are going on.

                            https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/...1925120222.pdf
                            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                            -Nelson Mandela

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Source: https://windsorstar.com/pmn/business...c-indian-syrup

                              Gambian doctors' fight to ban toxic Indian syrup
                              Reuters
                              Edward Mcallister and Jennifer Rigby and Krishna N. Das
                              Published Mar 10, 2023 • 13 minute read

                              BANJUL — Last July, more than 20 children were admitted to the Paediatric Emergency Unit of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Gambia with kidney failure. Many received dialysis, the usual treatment.

                              Nearly all died.

                              Doctors were mystified, four of them told Reuters: They usually see one or two such cases a year. Consultant pediatrician Vivian Muoneke, a 33-year veteran, was scared.

                              “I had never seen anything like this,” she said. “It was like an epidemic.”

                              It was the rainy season; Gambian health ministry officials thought the problem was contaminated water. But Muoneke and her colleagues suspected the children had been poisoned.
                              Article content

                              Three months later, the deaths of more than 70 Gambian children from Acute Kidney Injury were linked by global health officials to cough syrups made in India and contaminated with ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG). The patients were the first of about 300 children killed worldwide last year by contaminated cough syrups, not all of them made in India. It was the deadliest total poisoning on record from toxins that have been known to scientists for decades.

                              As authorities search for a culprit in this case, the story of how the Gambian doctors raised the alarm, then pushed for weeks for health officials to test for chemical poisoning and ban cough syrup sales, has not been previously reported.

                              Delays in testing the medicines cost weeks. When completed with help from the World Health Organization (WHO), the tests showed the medicines contained extremely dangerous levels of the toxins and had been sold in bottles wrongly labeled as WHO-approved, Reuters found.
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                              Pharmaceutical experts have warned for years about lax oversight of drugs made in India, whose industry supplies nearly half of the generic medicines used in Africa. India’s health regulator says it found no fault with the medicines.

                              The Gambian case appears to be the first documented example of DEG poisoning from imported rather than domestically produced medicines, a group of experts from Gambia and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The tragedy shows the difficulties faced by a poorly resourced country in identifying and removing harmful products, the experts said.

                              “There is not enough consequence when your drugs have been found to fail quality tests in a small African country,” said Jude Nwokike, vice president of the Promoting the Quality of Medicines Program at U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), a non-profit partly funded by the United States that helps set drug-making standards globally. “That really needs to change.”...

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