The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Saturday warned consumers in Borno to avoid unregistered hand sanitizers which might contain substances that could be toxic and harmful.
The NAFDAC’s state Coordinator, Mr Nasiru Mato, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), in Maiduguri on Saturday.
Mato said that some of the unregistered hand sanitizers might contain methanol, a substance that could be toxic if absorbed through the skin or ingested.
He said that substantial methanol exposure could lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches, permanent blindness and seizures.
“Consumers of regulated products in Borno have once again been urged to always look out and patronize only hand sanitizers registered by NAFDAC for their safety.
“Any regulated product which does not have NAFDAC registration number, Batch number, manufacture date, expiry date, name and full location address of manufacturer is deemed unsafe for use as the safety and efficacy of such product cannot be guaranteed,” he said.
Mato said that the Agency had registered quite a number of hand sanitizers in the light of the Coronavirus pandemic to meet the need of the current reality.
According to him, the Borno state office of the Agency has recently embarked on massive surveillance in Maiduguri with a view to mopping up all unregistered hand sanitizers to safeguard public health.
“The exercise is part of the regulatory measures put in place by the Agency to educate and sensitize consumers and various stakeholders to the manufacture, distribution, sale and use of regulated products,” he said.
Mato said that the agency had also conducted sensitization campaign at various patent medicine shops, super markets, corner shops as well as markets within Maiduguri metropolis.
The state Coordinator reiterated that the tempo would be sustained.
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He called on all intending manufacturers of regulated products to go to NAFDAC offices to get the necessary guideline for registration of their products.
He also warned that serious sanctions would be meted out to any manufacturer who flouted NAFDAC Laws.(NAN)
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