According to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) , it is recalling batches of Johnson Johnson's children's cough syrup after the detection of high levels of diethylene glycol.
Reuters states that the affected batches were sold in South Africa, Eswatini, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, the statement added.
The recall follows a report by the regulator's Nigerian counterpart last Wednesday, which first detected the toxin in a batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup.
SAHPRA received a report from the Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regarding the detection of high levels of diethylene glycol in a batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup.
Kenya and Nigeria have already issued recalls for the same syrup, which is used in the treatment of hay fever and other allergic conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract.
Kenvue, which now owns the Benylin brand after a spin-off from J J last year, said in a statement that it is conducting its own assessment and working with health authorities to determine a course of action.
"A review of our global safety database for the period between product release in May 2021 and up to 11 April 2024 did not identify any serious adverse events for any batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup," it said.
High levels of diethylene glycol in cough syrup has been linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon since 2022 in one of the world's worst waves of poisoning from oral medication.
Diethylene glycol is toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal.
Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headaches, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.
