FDA warns against use of Hitman condoms
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has drawn the attention of the public to the importation and distribution of fake Hit Man Condoms by Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited.
The fake condoms were manufactured by Universal Prophylactic Pvt Ltd, Aurangabad- India.
A statement issued by the FDA in Accra on Thursday and copied to Ghana News Agency said the importation of the condoms was in contravention of the part 7 of the Public Health Act of 2012, (Act 851), which ensures the quality, safety and efficacy of products.
It said Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited was directed to quarantine and not offer for sale the condoms until they have been tested by the Medical Device Laboratory of the Authority to ascertain their quality.
“Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited violated the directives of the FDA and distributed the Hit Man Condoms nationwide.
“During post market surveillance activities the FDA seized large quantities of the fake condoms in the Volta Region and these have since been destroyed.
“The FDA has also seized another large consignment in Tobinco’s warehouse in Accra,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, samples of the two batches imported (Batch numbers; HT 001/13 and HT 002/13) analysed at the FDA’s Medical Device Laboratory have been found to be of poor quality and do not conform to the condoms testing requirements of the International Standard ISO 4074:2002.
The tested batches were found with visible holes and do not have adequate physical strength and can easily break during use.
The FDA wishes to caution the public not to patronise Hit Man Condoms since the use of substandard and poor quality condoms exposes them to the risk of sexually transmitted infections including HIV and AIDS, Hepatitis, syphilis and Gonorrhoea.
“This also poses a threat to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal Number 6 which seeks to combat HIV and other diseases and individual and collective efforts aimed at sustaining birth control programmes in the country,” the statement said.
The FDA asked the public with information on persons in any practice possible of endangering public health and safety to contact numbers; 0244337235, 0544863418, 0244571563 or 0244337250.
Source: GNA