By: Foday Manneh
The Ministry of Health of The Gambia (MoH) has announced a newly recorded death in the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) outbreak increasing the number to 71 so far in the country.
The updates show that there is currently one new case, 39 suspected cases, six probabilities, 83 confirmed cases, 12 discharged, and 71 cases so far.
Seventy-five of the cases fall under the age of 3 and below. While seven are at the age of 4 to 7 years old, 50 being male and 33 females.
The AKI was declared an outbreak in The Gambia by the World Health Organization (WHO) in October 2022 — reportedly killing at least 66 children initially, which was also linked to the consumption of four contaminated syrups manufactured by an Indian pharmaceutical company called Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited.
The outbreak led to public outcry, with Gambians calling for accountability for the significant death of the children by the authorities.
Subsequently, the government of The Gambia announced a commission of inquiry to probe into the death of the children.
In his 2023 new year message, President Adama Barrow has promised to act on the report of the said commission to ensure the people found wanting are brought to justice.
