The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned the public against patronising Omama Herbal Mixture, an anti-malaria product found to contain harmful chemical substances.
The FDA said its laboratory tests, conducted in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, revealed that the product had been adulterated with Diazepam, Metronidazole, Paracetamol, and Niacinamide, all of which are prescription-only allopathic medicines.
“The Omama Herbal Mixture is registered as a herbal medicinal product for the treatment of malaria and loss of appetite. It is not expected to contain any allopathic medicines,” the Authority clarified.
The Authority warned that consuming such substances without medical supervision could pose serious health risks.
It further announced plans to work with Omama Herbal Group Limited to recall all affected products from the market for safe disposal.
The FDA added that criminal proceedings would be initiated where necessary and reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public health.
“The Authority will not relent in its efforts to ensure that only safe, quality, and effective products are available to consumers,” it said.
The public has been urged to report any persons, pharmacies, or over-the-counter medicine sellers (OTCMS) offering Omama Herbal Mixture for sale to the nearest FDA office.
The warning follows a broader market surveillance exercise by the FDA, which in October suspended the operations of nine sachet water producers in the Western North Region for operating with expired registration licences.
According to Mr. Albert Ankamah, Western North Regional Director of the FDA, the enforcement exercise aimed to ensure that water producers and other manufacturers comply with good manufacturing, hygienic, and storage practices to protect consumer health.
