Nigerian Government Confirms 50 Deaths To Date From Contaminated Teething Formula

[hatrack]

Lagos — Fifty children have now died for ingesting 'My Pikin' Teething Mixture, the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirmed on Wednesday, as it announced that it would today take delivery of 100 doses of antidotes to neutralise the effect of the syrup.

States where children are affected include Kaduna, Lagos, Abia and Rivers. The antidotes will be distributed to hospitals where the deaths occurred.

A statement issued by Charity Nmaju on behalf of NAFDAC Director General, Dora Akunyili, said the antidotes were imported from London as part of the efforts to halt the rising number of deaths.

The news comes as Ikem Omalu, Managing Director of Tranxell Limited, Lagos, who was arrested for allegedly selling propyleneglycol contaminated with diethyleneglycol used in producing 'My Pikin', has confessed to circulating the chemical to Gauze Pharm Limited in Enu-Ifite village in Anambra State as well as a textile manufacturer in Lagos. Kola Okunola, Chairman Barewa Pharmaceuticals, Lagos has also admitted in detention to purchasing 40 litres of the chemical "in a plastic jerry can and not in the original packaging."

EDIT

http://allafrica.com/stories/200812040132.html