The Nigerian authorities say they are intensifying surveillance to prevent the importation into the country of cough syrups linked to the deaths of 69 children in The Gambia.
Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac) says the medicines manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, have not been found in Nigeria.
A spokesperson for the agency, Sayo Akintola told the BBC that the agency’s "surveillance up to date has not found the controversial drugs in the Nigerian market".
The regulatory agency also added that the four paediatric medicines have not been registered in Nigeria, therefore they should not be in the country.
Nevertheless, the authorities have put "appropriate measures in place to prevent entry of these spurious products from the various ports of entry and have activated our internal surveillance mechanisms to mop up these products from the supply chain pipeline if they are ever found," the agency said.
Nafdac has also warned Nigerians to avoid the said syrups and report any "suspicion of adverse drug reaction and substandard and falsified medicines".
It says the effects of the toxic substances allegedly contained in the cough syrups include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
The products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
Maiden Pharmaceuticals had failed to provide guarantees about their products' safety, the WHO said.
In a comment to the ANI news agency Maiden said it was shocked and saddened over the incident.
The company said it followed Indian health protocols and was co-operating with an investigation.
The Gambia has already started withdrawing the medicines from circulation.
The WHO had expressed fears that the Gambia might not be the only country where the cough syrups had been sold.
<<Print>>