Tanzania, Rwanda join African recall of J&J children’s cough syrup
Drug regulators in Tanzania and Rwanda have recalled a batch of Johnson & Johnson children’s cough syrup as a precautionary measure after their Nigerian counterpart said laboratory tests found high levels of toxicity.
The East African neighbours join Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in recalling the same batch of the syrup, which is used to treat coughs, hay fever and other allergic reactions in children. South Africa has also recalled an additional batch.
Laboratory tests on the syrup by Nigeria’s health regulator showed a high level of diethylene glycol, which has been linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon since 2022 in one of the world’s worst waves of poisoning from oral medication.
The batch recalled was made by J&J in South Africa in May 2021, although Kenvue now owns the Benylin Paediatric syrup brand after a spin-off from J&J last year.
Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) said they had begun the recall on April 12 after hearing about the Nigerian test results.