The Child Protection Alliance (CPA) in Gambia, West Africa, has received reports of over 40 child deaths related to the possible toxicity of paracetamol syrup. The CPA considers this a serious concern that needs to be addressed.
Previously, it was reported that the possible link between acetaminophen and the deaths of dozens of children had been revealed by the autopsy results.
“Dozens of children (under the age of five) have died in the past three months,” said Gambia’s director of health services, Mustapha Bittaye.
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“The autopsy shows a possible link to acetaminophen,” he said, identifying all previous deaths from taking acetaminophen syrup.
On the other hand, 60 children were reported to have acute kidney failure. So far there has been no official statement on the certainty of the cause, while the WHO is also investigating.
The local Ministry of Health has also recently highlighted another possibility at the basis of the cause of the death of dozens of children, namely the infection with E coli bacteria due to strong floods, which have made the water sources subject to contamination, with consequent transmission.
“The Alliance for the Protection of Children has greeted with serious concern the deaths of over forty children and another sixty suffering from acute kidney injury (AKI), due to the possible causes of E coli and the toxicity of paracetamol syrup”, the CPA said in a statement recently quoted by local media The Point on Friday (9/16/2022).
“The CPA is of the opinion that this is a national tragedy and is calling for an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the import of paracetamol syrup shipments to The Gambia.”
The CPA also urged other ministries, including social welfare, to take further action if any violations or omissions in the control of drugs imported into the Gambia were found.
“While recognizing the investigative efforts of the Ministry of Health, we also ask other authorities such as the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Gender, Childhood and Social Security to play an active role in the investigative process and to take firm action against any alleged misconduct, play or acts of neglect to prevent the recurrence of future imports of illegal drugs that endanger the life and well-being of our children, “they said.
“It is important to note that a medicines regulatory agency has been established, which has a mandate to regulate the quality and safety of medicines and related products and to ensure compliance in the import and distribution of medicines in The Gambia,” he has declared.
Watch videos”Latest findings on cases of death of dozens of Gambian children linked to paracetamol“
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