In Gambia, the trial in the adulterated syrups affair which caused the death of 70 children last year resumes this Tuesday, November 7 before the Banjul High Court. This case caused a huge stir in the country, highlighting the dangers of counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
Children tragically lost their lives after consuming cough syrups contaminated with diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, highly toxic substances. An investigation by the World Health Organization found that the amount of these substances in the syrups was “unacceptable”, highlighting the negligence of those who manufactured and distributed these products.
Among the accused are the Gambian Ministry of Health, the medical control agency, as well as the Indian laboratory Maiden Pharmaceuticals responsible for manufacturing the drugs in question. However, at the last hearing in October, none of the accused were present.
The families of the victims, grouped within the AKI association, are impatiently awaiting convictions at the end of this trial. For them, it is above all a question of obtaining justice for their children, but also of ensuring that such tragedies never happen again. They are also demanding financial compensation for the losses they suffered.
This case highlighted the flaws in the pharmaceutical control system in The Gambia. Indeed, the Ministry of Health and the Medicines Regulatory Agency are accused of having failed to put in place necessary measures to ensure that imported pharmaceutical products are tested and comply with safety standards. Furthermore, they were negligent in their duty to inspect the incriminated syrups.
Despite the pain and anger of the victims’ families, they remain confident in the outcome of this trial and hope that justice will be done. They want those responsible for these crimes to be convicted and stricter prevention measures to be put in place to protect the population.
The reopening of this trial is therefore a crucial moment for The Gambia, but also for the international community which is following this case closely. Hopefully this serves as a catalyst for greater awareness and action in the fight against counterfeit pharmaceuticals.