President Adama Barrow: Deaths of 66 Children Could Have Been Prevented with Drug Testing Laboratory

By Makutu Manneh

President Adama Barrow on Friday, June 5, 2026, stated that the deaths of 66 children linked to contaminated cough syrups could have been avoided if previous governments had established a national drug testing laboratory.

The President made the remarks during the inauguration of The Gambia’s first National Food and Drug Quality Control Laboratory at Brusubi Turntable in the West Coast Region.

He noted that for decades, medicines entered the country without adequate testing mechanisms, a gap he said contributed to the tragic loss of lives.

“Medicines were coming into the country, and our children died. There was a lot of public outcry, but had a national food and drug quality control laboratory been established many years ago, this could have been avoided,” President Barrow said.

In 2022, the World Health Organization linked the deaths of 66 children in The Gambia to acute kidney injuries caused by the consumption of imported cough syrups contaminated with diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

President Barrow explained that his administration, in collaboration with partners, prioritized the establishment of the laboratory to ensure that all medicines entering the country are tested and certified before distribution.

He described the project as a significant achievement delivered within a short timeframe and called on Gambians to support the Ministry of Health. He emphasized that the facility belongs to the Gambian people, not to any individual.

The President further highlighted that the laboratory is expected to serve not only The Gambia but also the wider subregion, with revenue from testing services contributing to the national treasury.

The facility is the country’s first of its kind, enabling local testing of the quality of medicines and food products. Prior to its establishment, samples had to be sent abroad for analysis.