Why NAFDAC dey recall some brand of dexamethasone medicine from Nigeria market

Di National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) don recall substandard dexamethasone tablets wey dem see for Anambra State. Dem recall am sake of unsatisfactory results of analysis wey show say di samples contain less dan di amount wey dey for di labels. Some of di samples also contain small amounts of methylparaben and/or propylparaben. Methylparaben and/or propylparaben na preservative wey pipo dey use to make product get longer shelf life. NAFDAC tok say di presence of dis preservatives inside tablets no dey normal and e dey unnecessary. Dem draw ear for kontri pipo to avoid dis substances especially for paediatric (children) formulations.  Wetin be dexamethasone and di risk? Dexamethasone na products wey dey give relief for (Inflamed areas) parts of di body wey swell-up. NAFDAC tok say dem dey use am treat different conditions, like inflammation (swelling), severe allergies, adrenal problems ( dis na small, triangular-shaped glands wey dey on top of di two kidneys), arthritis, asthma, blood or bone marrow problems, kidney problems, skin conditions, and flare-ups of multiple sclerosis. According to NAFDAC, di risk wey dey associated with dis products plenti well well, na why dem dey tell health workers and di public to avoid am. "Di administration of di subtherapeutic doses of dexamethasone for di products or any substandard and fake medical product fit cause harm to patients and lead to treatment failure. E fit also lead to loss of confidence for medicines, healthcare providers and health systems". NAFDAC don direct all concerned Marketing Authorization Holders (MAH) of di affected brands to start nationwide recall of dia products with immediate effect and make dem submit updates of di recall to di Agency for effective monitoring". NAFDAC tok.   Pharmacist Oladapo Famodu follow BBC Pidgin tok about di substance, e explain say na steroid and dem dey use am treat plenti tins. "Dem fit use am for inflammation in cancer, dem dey also use am manage worsening of COPD, any inflammatory disease, nausea for patients wey dey on chemotherapy. Some pipo for Nigeria dey use am to gain weight (fat), but e dey harmful and e get plenti effects" E add say pipo dey abuse am well-well and dis abuse fit over load di adrenal gland, e fit cause insomnia ( lack of sleep), fluid retention and e fit also increase blood pressure and blood sugar. E advice say di best way to use am na to follow di prescription from doctor. Di list of di dexamethasone tablets dem recall Di National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) also drop di names of products wey get dis substance. Check di list, incase you get anyone for your house, make you troway am sharp sharp. NAFDAC say dem don increase dia surveillance for all di 36 States and di Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to  stop di distribution and sale of all di products for dis list. Dem warn all distributors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers wey get di products to stop to sell or use am and make dem submit stock to di nearest NAFDAC office. NAFDAC also beg all Healthcare professionals and consumers to report any suspicion of adverse drug reaction, substandard and falsified medicines to di nearest NAFDAC Cough syrup wey allegedly dey kill pikin dem NAFDAC also chook mouth for di four children cold and cough Syrup mata wey di World Health Organization (WHO) dey draw pipo ear about around di world. Oga of NADFDAC Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye for Press Conference for Abuja say "WHO say di four cold and cough syrups dey linked to serious kidney injuries and 66 deaths among pikin dem for The Gambia". Dem add say di syrups cause serious kidney injuries and di death of children for July, August, and September for The Gambia. NAFDAC say dem dey make sure say dis products no cause harm to Nigerians. Dem don also give alert to di public on di Substandard (contaminated) children cough syrups wey dey spread for Gambia.  "We don put appropriate measures in place to make sure say dis product no enta our kontri from various ports of entry, we don also activate our internal surveillance mechanisms to mop up dis products from di supply chain pipeline if dem ever find way enta hia. Di Cough syrups na Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup wey one Indian company manufacture.