The syrup, named Benylin, which is made for children to treat coughing, hay fever, and other allergic reactions, was found to contain unacceptable levels of diethylene glycol last week, prompting Nigerian health authorities to immediately recall the product.

Diethylene glycol, along with the similarly composed ethylene glycol, has been linked to the deaths of over 300 children in Cameroon, Gambia, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan since 2022.

Following the recall in Nigeria, five other African countries - Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and the Republic of South Africa - have also removed the medicine from their shelves.

The recalled batch was produced in May 2021 at the manufacturer’s facility in South Africa. However, the brand currently belongs to Kenvue, which was spun off from J&J last year, leading the conglomerate to direct inquiries related to the contamination to the new company.

In a statement on Friday, Kenvue claimed that upon testing the implicated Nigerian batch, their investigation discovered no traces of diethylene or ethylene glycol contamination.

The concerns have sparked a broader examination of the integrity and safety of pharmaceutical products in the targeted regions, emphasizing the critical need for regulatory vigilance and consumer awareness of medicinal products.