Kenya Follows Nigeria in Issuing Urgent Recall for Contaminated Cough Syrup

NAIROBI, Kenya — The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) of Kenya has announced a critical recall for a batch of Benylin Paediatric cough syrup after it was found to contain toxic levels of diethylene glycol, a chemical that can cause severe health issues, including death. The recall affects 100ml bottles from Batch No 329304, which are due to expire this month.

The decision follows an alert from the Nigerian food and drug agency, which also issued a recall for the same batch on Wednesday. The warning was quickly disseminated through Kenya's PPB, which confirmed the presence of the harmful substance through its testing processes.

Diethylene glycol poisoning is serious and can lead to symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury. The PPB has stressed the severity of the risk, indicating that consumption of the contaminated syrup could be fatal.

In response to the crisis, the PPB has mandated that all pharmaceutical outlets, healthcare facilities, and workers throughout Kenya immediately cease the distribution and sale of the affected batch. The board is also conducting its own investigations to ascertain the full scope of the issue and to implement measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of the syrup in South Africa, has not yet made a public statement regarding the contamination. The lack of response from the company has heightened concerns about the oversight and quality controls in place within their manufacturing processes.

The PPB's swift action highlights the challenges faced in managing pharmaceutical safety and underscores the importance of regional cooperation in health and safety regulations. The board has advised consumers to check their medicine cabinets for the specified batch number of Benylin Paediatric and to avoid using the product. They have also encouraged the public to report any adverse health effects or continued availability of the product to local health authorities immediately.

As this situation develops, further updates from both the PPB and Johnson & Johnson are anticipated, with the health and safety of the public remaining the highest priority.