The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has implemented measures to prevent the smuggling of a batch of children’s cough syrup produced by Johnson & Johnson into Ghana.
Authorities in six African countries have recalled a batch of children’s cough syrup manufactured by Johnson & Johnson in 2021. This action follows a warning from Nigeria’s drug agency about elevated levels of a toxic and potentially lethal substance.
Tanzania and Zimbabwe’s drug regulators are the most recent to recall the syrup as a precautionary measure. However, Zimbabwe’s Medicines Control Authority stated that there is no record of the syrup being imported into the country.
In response to this development, the FDA issued a statement on Friday (April 12), stating that their surveillance indicates that the contaminated syrup in question is not present in Ghana. This conclusion was reached after reviewing importation data from 2021.
“The FDA hereby assures the public that LOT No. 329304 is not available on our market, having reviewed all the data on the importation of the product to Ghana from 2021.
“Ongoing market surveillance efforts across the country so far confirm the absence of the lot in Ghana. The Authority has also heightened its surveillance activities at the ports with the view to prevent entry of LOT No.329304 onto the Ghanaian market.”
“The public is hereby cautioned to look out for the affected lot of Benylin Paediatric Syrup and report to any offices across the country,” the FDA statement said.
Below is the full statement:
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