Emergency Response

In July 2022, medical authorities in The Gambia observed a sharp increase in cases of acute kidney injury in children under five. Soon after, the government confirmed that 69 children had tragically died from the injuries. Following this alarming development, the World Health Organization revealed that the deaths were linked to contaminated cough syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceutical, an Indian company. The affected syrups—Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup—were found to contain unacceptable levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants.

The medicines had already been widely distributed across the country, with many families still unaware of the dangers posed by the contaminated syrups.

In response to this health crisis, the Ministry of Health convened an emergency meeting that brought together ChildFund and other children’s organizations in the country. The primary objective was to devise a strategy to limit the damage caused by the contaminated syrups by initiating a nationwide recall of the products already distributed to households—particularly in the more remote areas.

However, local communities were initially reluctant to hand over their medicines, citing various reasons including concerns about economic loss after purchasing the syrups.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, ChildFund, in partnership with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), organized training for Local Partners to join forces with healthcare officials and the Gambia Red Cross Society in the nationwide recall effort. The aim was to identify and safely remove the contaminated syrups from households, where unsuspecting caregivers and local healthcare workers had unknowingly administered them to children.

Musu Komma, ChildFund’s Country Director, emphasized the importance of community trust in the success of the recall effort: “Our role was crucial in gaining the trust of parents and caregivers who already had these syrups in their homes. ChildFund has a long-standing relationship with these communities, and we are seen as a trusted partner. This trust was key in encouraging families to surrender the dangerous syrups. We assured them that this was a life-saving measure, and they believed in our commitment to their children’s safety.”

ChildFund deployed its frontline staff, who are present in 32 community associations across the country, to go house-to-house and sensitize communities about the emergency. The staff encouraged caregivers to bring out any dangerous syrups they had in their homes, ensuring that the four deadly types of syrup were removed from circulation.

Thanks to this community engagement, the recall exercise was a success. Staff members were able to retrieve hundreds of units of the deadly syrups before they caused more harm. Musu Komma joined the ground staff in the field to monitor the recall process, which exceeded expectations. Even communities that had initially been reluctant to hand over their medications began to participate in large numbers, once they understood that ChildFund staff were involved in the exercise.

“When people saw our staff actively participating in the recall and felt assured that the process was legitimate, they trusted us with their syrups,” said Musu.

All collected syrups were handed over to the Gambia Red Cross Society staff and volunteers, who then ensured their safe disposal through the Ministry of Health.

This successful operation highlights ChildFund’s commitment to child protection and community health in times of crisis. By working hand-in-hand with local partners, communities, and government authorities, ChildFund has played a critical role in preventing further harm to children, underscoring the importance of quick and effective action in response to emergencies.