By Ezrel Tabiowo Abuja
Th e Senate yesterday mandated its Committee on Health to urgently investigate the alleged sale of banned malaria drugs in the country. Th e decision to so do was reached by the upper chamber, following a motion sponsored by Senator Th eodore Orji (PDP, Abia Central). Th e lawmaker noted that recently, the European Union banned the sale and consumption of 42 malaria drugs in all countries within the European Union.
He listed the drugs to include; Alaxin 60mg tablet (dihydroartémisinine) B/8; Alaxin oral suspension ( d i h y d r o a r t é m i s i n i n e ) FL/80ml; Amodiaquine 200mg compressed B/1000; Amodiaquine 200mg compressed B/1000; Arinate 100mg tablet (artésunate) B/6; Arinate 50mg tablet (artésunate) B/6; Arsumax 50mg tablet (artésunate) B/12; Artemax 60mg tablet (dihydroartémisinine) B/8; Artémédine 40mg capsule (artemether) B/12; Artémédine 50mg tablet (artemether) B/12; and Artenam 50mg tablet (artemether) B/14. Also, on the list are Artenam 60mg tablet (artemether) B/8; Artésiane 300mg child powder oral suspension (artemether) FL/38g; Artésunate 100mg compressed B/120; Artésunate 50mg tablet B/120; Artexin 60mg tablet (dihydroartémisinine) B/8; Camoquin 200mg tablet (amodiaquine) B/9; Camoquin 200mg tablet (amodiaquine) B/25 blisters; Camoquin 200mg tablet (amodiaquine) B/55 blisters; Camoquin 200mg tablet (amodiquine) B/24; Camoquin 600 mg tablet (amodiaquine) B/3; Camoquin oral suspension 50mg/ 5ml (amodiaquine) FL/60ml; Cotecxin oral suspension ( d i h y d r o a r t é m i s i n i n e ) FL/80ml; Cotecxin 60mg tablet(dihydroartémisinine) B/8; Daraprim tablet (pyriméthamine) B/30; and Falcinil 50mg tablet (artésunate) B/12. Others are Flavoquine oral suspension 50mg/5ml (amodiaquine) FL/90ml; Flavoquine 200mg tablet (amodiaquine) B/16; Flavoquine 200mg tablet (amodjaquine) B/240; Gunate strong tablet (artésunate) B/6 gvs labs; Tvitter powder oral suspension (artemether) FL/100ml; Halfan 250mg tablet (halofantrine) B/6; Halfan 250mg tablet (halofantrine) B/120. Th e rest are ; Halfan oral suspension 5mg/5ml (halofantrine) FL/45ml; Malartin 200mg tablet (artésunate) B/6; Malartin 50mg tablet (artésunate) B/12; MMH-Malarex 450mg capsule (peschiara fuchsiaefolia) B/20; Paludrine 100mg tablet (proguanil) B/56; Plasmotrim 200mg tablet (artésunate) B/25 blisters/6; Plasmotrim 200mg tablet (artésunate) B/6; Plasmotrim 50mg lactab (artésunate) B/12; and Plasmotrim 50 mg lactab (artésunate) B/25 blisters/6. According to reports, Senator Orji said EU Countries must not stock any drugs that contain any of these substances:”Plasmotrin, Anequin, Co-arinate, Arco, Artecon and Dialquin.”
Th e lawmaker added that the reason given for the ban of the 42 drugs is that they are considered dangerous and linked to cause of kidney failure. He raised the alarm that “all the 42 Anti-Malaria Drugs banned in Europe are still being stock-piled, sold and consumed in Nigeria”, while expressing concern at the enormity of the danger the continued sale and consumption of these drugs can pose to the health of Nigerians.
Th e lawmaker, who drew the attention of the Senate to the fact that the situation was already trending and generating panic and concern among medical practitioners and members of the public, decried the inability of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to tackle the emerging trend. He stressed that both agencies, “which had hitherto waged ceaseless war on the infl ux of fake and substandard items into Nigeria, have not in any way adequately addressed this issue.
” “Most of the drugs in the banned list of drugs are very popular and common in Nigeria and are easily obtained across the counter with or without proper requisite prescription,” he said. He noted that the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Professor Mike Ogirima, had already confi rmed the delisting of those drugs by European Union countries.