By: Foday Manneh
President Adama Barrow has said the number of the sixty-six (66) child deaths is not much different from similar cases in the past.
The World Health Organisation issued an alert saying the usage of cold and cough syrups manufactured in India has been potentially linked to the death of 66 children in The Gambia.
“I must state that the child mortality figure of sixty-six (66) is not at much variance with the recorded data for similar periods in the past. But, this notwithstanding, my government remains deeply concerned about every death in the country and all causes of premature deaths.” The President said.
The President added that the victims had the best medical attention and care available, despite the highest number of deaths caused by an outbreak in the tiny West African country.
“In July of this year, the Ministry of Health detected an unusual rise in the number of cases of diarrhea and vomiting among children under the age of five within the six health regions of the country, in areas affected by flash floods.
“Many of the children infected later developed Acute Kidney Injuries (AKI), resulting in the untimely death of sixty-six (66) children within the last three months, even though they had the best medical attention and care available.”
President Barrow also commended the Ministry of Health for their diligence, particularly for the early detection of the outbreak and their sustained investigative efforts and control strategies.
“Due to their timely intervention and the support of our partners, the outbreak is now under control, with only two cases reported in the last two weeks.” He acknowledged.
However, Barrow said various laboratory tests conducted on the samples from the victims show that bacteria are the likely cause of their deaths.
The President also directed the Ministry of Health to work with partners and other stakeholders to review all Medicine and other related Acts and legislative framework, establish a quality control national laboratory for drugs and investigate the source of contaminated drugs.
