The National Drug Authority (NDA) has issued a warning to Ugandans not to consume a Chinese Contraceptive pill that is on the Ugandan market, saying the contents in the drug once taken by a person lead to cancer.
In a letter authored on 13th November 2022, David Nahamya, Secretary to the Authority, says that the National Drug Authority had noted with concern the sale of unauthorized Chinese pills on black market used as a contraceptive pill.
According to NDA, the Chinese tablet pills packaging, labelling and patient information leaflet are in Chinese language except for the claimed ingredients and levonorgestrol and quinestrol.
“The pill was found to contain high doses of the hormones beyond the recommended dosage and the risks associated with the use of this product include among others; prolonged bleeding, irregular menstrual period, palpitations, possibility of developing heart diseases, abnormally enlarged endometrium, a predisposing factor for endometrial cancer and infertility,” NDA’s letter reads in part.
The Authority warned that the deadly Chinese pill is not registered nor authorized for sale or use in Uganda and warned women against purchasing the drugs because the hormones in the drug affects the fetus in the wombs.
“Furthermore, when consumed, the hormones stay in the body for a long time and the adverse effects of the pill further manifest in babies that are born by mothers. The adverse effects include secondary sexual characteristics like premature puberty,” the letter further reads.
We have noted with concern the sale of an illegal Chinese Pill that is on black market and being used as a contraceptive pill. The pill contains high doses of the hormones above the recommended dosage and has grave risks. We advise the public NOT to consume this impure product. pic.twitter.com/5DXJk4iR4s
— Uganda National Drug Authority (@UNDAuthority) October 14, 2022
The latest warning comes at the time NDA issued a warning of the marketeers of another contraceptive pill Lydia Contraceptive East Africa who had hired a battalion of influencers on Twitter who were drumming up for the contraceptive, prompting the company to recall its troops who were misleading Ugandans.
These developments come at the time when a global alert has been issued by World Health Organization over four cough syrups that have been linked to the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia as well as “potentially linked with acute kidney injuries.
The products were manufactured by an Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which had failed to provide guarantees about their safety. However, NDA recently assured the public that the deadly syrups weren’t authorized for sale in Uganda.
Section 30 of the National Drug Authority Act makes it illegal to sale impure drugs in Uganda, with the section stipulating:
Any person who—(a) sells any drug, medical appliance or similar article which is not of the nature, substance and quality demanded or which, unless otherwise agreed at the time of demand, does not conform to the standards laid down in the authorised pharmacopoeia; or (b) supplies any drug which is unwholesome or adulterated or which does not conform to the prescription under which it is supplied,commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding five million shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or to both.
