OVER 70 CHILDRENT DEATH IN GAMBIA AFTER CONSUMING INDIAN-MADE MEDICINE

The news that four Indian-made medicines were responsible for the deaths of at least 70 children in Gambia is truly heartbreaking. It is important to remember that these medicines were not approved by the Gambian government and were not properly regulated. The medicines were produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India and included cough syrups. This is a reminder of the importance of ensuring that all medicines are safe and effective before they are made available to the public.

The specific ingredient in these cough syrups that led to the fatalities was diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol (DEG/EG). These chemicals, which are typically used for industrial purposes, are not safe for human consumption. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert against cough syrups from India after numerous deaths have been linked to the medicines in Gambia and Uzbekistan. The Indian government has denied the allegations and claimed that the samples of the medicines “were not found to have been contaminated.” However, the Gambian parliamentary committee has recommended that authorities should take tough measures, including banning all Maiden Pharmaceuticals products in the country and taking legal action against the firm. 

Investigations conducted by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Gambian scientists concluded that the contaminated cough syrups were almost certainly responsible for the deaths of the children due to acute kidney injury.

The Gambian government is currently investigating the matter, and it is important to let the investigation take its course. However, it is also important to ensure that the families of the victims are compensated and that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

This is a tragic incident, but it is also an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. We need to ensure that our regulatory systems are strong enough to prevent this from happening again. We also need to make sure that people are aware of the risks of taking counterfeit or unregulated medicines and also the boarder authorities need to be more vigilant.

My thoughts are with the families of the victims, and I hope that they will find justice.

What can we do to prevent this from happening again?

• Strengthen regulatory systems. We need to ensure that our regulatory systems are strong enough to prevent counterfeit and unregulated medicines from entering the market. This means investing in better enforcement mechanisms and training for regulators.
• Educate the public. People need to be aware of the risks of taking counterfeit or unregulated medicines. We need to make sure that people know how to identify safe and effective medicines.
• Hold manufacturers accountable. When manufacturers produce unsafe or ineffective medicines, they must be held accountable. This means ensuring that there are strong penalties for those who break the law.

We can't bring back the children who were lost, but we can work to prevent this from happening again. By strengthening our regulatory systems, educating the public, and holding manufacturers accountable, we can make sure that our medicines are safe and effective.