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☆ A group of cruise passengers stranded off the coast of Africa spent 6 days chasing the ship to get back on
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Eight passengers chased their cruise ship around Africa for six days. They were stranded in São Tomé and Príncipe and missed a chance to re-embark in Gambia. AdvertisementA group of passengers left stranded on a small African island after missing a boarding deadline finally managed to rejoin their cruise ship on Tuesday after chasing it for almost a week. The couple had considered not rejoining the ship, believing that Norwegian Cruise Line had fallen short in a '"basic duty of care," Campbell told NBC News. But, six days after being left behind in São Tomé and Príncipe, the cruise line confirmed the eight passengers, including the Campbells, finally re-embarked in Senegal on Tuesday.

Persons: —, São, Jill Campbell, Campbell Organizations: Norwegian Cruise Line, Service, Business, Príncipe Coast Guard, ABC, NBC News, Cruise, NBC, Campbells Locations: Africa, Norwegian, Senegal, Gambia, West Africa, Banjul, São, Dakar

☆ Athletes passed out and 'could have died' when a plane full of pro soccer players lost cabin pressure and oxygen just after takeoff
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewA plane carrying a national soccer team had to make an emergency landing Wednesday due to an oxygen shortage on board, The Gambia Football Federation said in a statement. The Gambia team's coach, Tom Saintfiet, told the BBC he believed the squad "could have died." "We all fell asleep because there was a lack of oxygen — some of the players couldn't be woken up," he added. But it couldn't take off again as the crew timed out because the soccer team had arrived four hours late at the airport, according to the airline. The Gambia squad returned to their hotel before flying to the Ivory Coast on a different plane, an Airbus A319, the following day.

Persons: —, Saidy Janko —, BSC Young Boys —, Tom Saintfiet Organizations: Service, Gambia Football Federation, Business, Air Côte d'Ivoire, Africa, Nations, Bombardier Dash, Swiss, BSC Young Boys, BBC, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Airbus, Senegal Locations: Africa, Gambia, Banjul, Ivory Coast

☆ West African nations mull troop contributions for possible Niger intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Boureima Balima | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

West African leaders gather for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Head of States and Government meeting in Abuja, Nigeria August 10, 2023. ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) said all options were on the table and they still hoped for a peaceful resolution to the Niger crisis. Security analysts said an ECOWAS force could take weeks or longer to assemble, potentially leaving room for negotiations. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara on Thursday promised to supply a battalion of troops to the standby force. The African Union welcomed ECOWAS' decision to activate a regional force and continue to seek a diplomatic solution.

Persons: Abraham Achirga, Mohamed Bazoum, Alassane Ouattara, Sering Modou, Ledgerhood Rennie, Ikemesit Effiong, Hama Moussa, Issa Seydou, Antony Blinken, Bazoum, They’ve, Pap, Ange Aboa, Alberto Dabo, Alphonso Toweh, Diadie, Edward McAllister, Anait Miridzhanian, Nellie Peyton, David Lewis, Ingrid Melander, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Economic Community, West African States, REUTERS, ECOWAS, Economic, West, Ivory, SBM Intelligence, African Union, Military, EU, Rights Watch, Thomson Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, NIAMEY, Niger, West, Central Africa, West African States, Ivory Coast, Ivorian, Senegal, Sahel, U.S, Niamey, Russia, France, United States, Mali, Burkina Faso, Banjul, Abidjan, Bissau, Monrivia, Diadie Ba, Dakar

☆ Explainer: What are West Africa's options to reverse Niger's coup?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Edward Mcallister | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] A member of the ECOWAS regional force is seen at Denton check point in Banjul, Gambia January 22, 2017. GROUND INVASIONECOWAS has sent troops into trouble spots before, but never in Niger and rarely with the region so divided. Coup leaders in Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali have expressed support for Niger's junta, and other countries have their own security challenges. It is not clear how big an ECOWAS force would be or what form it would take. Security analysts and diplomats have also noted apparent divisions among Niger's armed forces, who may not all be united behind the coup.

Persons: Afolabi, Mohamed Bazoum, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Djiby Sow, Bazoum, Ikemesit Effiong, Effiong, Peter Pham, Edward McAllister, David Lewis, Emelia Sithole, Alexandra Zavis, Kevin Liffey Organizations: ECOWAS, REUTERS, Economic, West African States, Security, Institute for Security Studies, SPECIAL, SBM Intelligence, Nigerien, Atlantic Council, Thomson Locations: Denton, Banjul, Gambia, DAKAR, Niger, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast, Dakar, Nigeria, Niamey, U.S

☆ Gambia 'advanced' in exploring legal action over toxic Indian cough syrup
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Pap Saine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Logo of the Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd. company is seen on a board outside their office in New Delhi, India, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File PhotoCompanies Maiden Pharmaceutical Ltd FollowBANJUL, July 21 (Reuters) - Gambia's government is "far advanced" in exploring avenues for potential legal action against Indian drugmaker Maiden Pharmaceuticals and a local distributor over toxic cough syrups believed to have killed dozens of children, it said on Friday. The small West African country has hired a U.S. law firm to explore legal action, the justice minister previously told Reuters. The Indian drugmaker Maiden Pharmaceuticals has denied wrongdoing, and the Indian government says that tests it conducted on the drugs showed they were not contaminated. The World Health Organization said last year that the India-made cough syrups contained lethal toxins ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol – commonly used in car brake fluid and other products not fit for human consumption.

Persons: Anushree, syrups, Pap, Nellie Peyton, Louise Heavens, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, REUTERS, Maiden Pharmaceutical, Indian, Pharmaceuticals, Medicines Control Agency, MCA, Reuters, Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, Government of, World Health Organization, World Bank, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, BANJUL, Gambia, Government of India, Banjul

At least 70 children in Gambia, most under 5 years old, died from acute kidney injury between June and October. Tests by the WHO found that the Maiden cough syrups contained the lethal toxins diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG), used in car brake fluid. Indian officials have said the WHO failed to prove a causal link to the Gambia deaths, accusing the agency of denigrating its $41 billion pharmaceutical industry. However, cough syrups made by a second Indian drugmaker have been linked to the deaths of 19 children in Uzbekistan. India has since made drug testing mandatory for cough syrups before export.

Persons: Sagnia, Lamin, Edward McAllister, Dawda Jallow, Jallow, syrups, Maiden, Adama Barrow, Dawda, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Sara Ledwith, Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, World Health Organization, WHO, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, EG, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Serekunda, Gambia, BANJUL, India, Uzbekistan

☆ How cough syrup gets poisoned
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

These medicines combine active ingredients such as paracetamol (known as acetaminophen in the United States) to reduce fever with a syrup made from glycerin or propylene glycol that is safe, sweet and easy to swallow. In Gambia, imported cough syrup for children was found by global health officials to be contaminated with two highly toxic substances: ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG). Manufacturers making propylene glycol for pharmaceutical use must purify it to remove any toxins, Kumar Koduri said. Mix-ups can happen due to human error, said Kumar Koduri. EG and DEG can cost less than half the price of propylene glycol, according to two websites selling the chemicals.

☆ As African kids died, doctors fought for ban on toxic Indian syrup
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Maiden Managing Director Naresh Kumar Goyal told Reuters he had "not done anything wrong" and did not respond to further questions. In December, India’s health regulator said it did its own tests and found no toxins in the syrups. Yet even as the doctors’ evidence of toxins mounted, Gambian government officials told Reuters they wanted more proof. “We took their histories and asked them if they took the drugs, and we just knew” that the syrup was the culprit. If tests for toxins had been done in late July or early August, a sales ban could have saved dozens of children, she said.

☆ Gambian vice president dies of illness, president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BANJUL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Gambia's Vice-President Badara Alieu Joof has died of illness in India, President Adama Barrow said on Wednesday. Joof, 65, was appointed vice president of the West African country in 2022. Barrow said on Twitter that Joof had died "after a short illness" without providing further detail. The vice president left Gambia about three weeks ago to seek medical treatment. (This story has been corrected to say Wednesday, not Tuesday, in the lead)Reporting by Pap Saine Writing by Sofia Christensen Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Gambia foils alleged coup attempt, arrests four soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BANJUL, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Gambian authorities have foiled a military coup attempt and arrested four soldiers plotting to overthrow President Adama Barrow's administration, the government said on Wednesday. The Gambian Armed Forces High Command arrested four soldiers linked to the alleged coup after a military operation on Tuesday, it said in a statement. Jammeh himself seized power in a coup in 1994 and foiled several attempts to overthrow him before he lost an election in late 2016 to Barrow. "Based on intelligence reports... some soldiers of the Gambian army were plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government," the government said on Wednesday. There were no details on whether the coup attempt was linked to the previous regime.

☆ Gambia says it has not yet confirmed cough syrup as cause of child deaths
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Pap Saine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANJUL, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Gambia has not yet confirmed that toxic cough syrup was the cause of the deaths of 70 children from acute kidney injury, a representative of the country's Medicines Control Agency said on Monday. The small West African state has been investigating a mysterious slew of child deaths in recent months, which police said in a preliminary investigation was linked to four cough syrups made in India. The spike in cases of acute kidney injury among children under the age of five was detected in late July. By October, the number of deaths had risen to 70, out of 82 children reported to have acute kidney injury. Indonesia has also recorded a spike in child deaths from acute kidney injury in recent months, and is investigating paracetamol syrups as a possible cause.

Dozens of measles cases have cropped up in Gambia this year, a spike over previous years. The measles campaign was rescheduled for 2021, but in July of that year polio was detected in a water sample. Over the years, the success of the measles vaccine has numbed many to these risks, health experts say. At the time, 86% of children had at least the first dose of the measles vaccine worldwide, according to WHO estimates. FUNDS REJECTEDThe U.S. CDC has identified 12 African countries as having no clear plans or secured resources for their next measles vaccination drive.

☆ Gambia says child deaths linked to cough syrup have risen to 70
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BANJUL, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Gambia's government on Friday said the number of child deaths from acute kidney injury, thought to be linked to Indian-made cough syrups, has risen to 70 from a previous toll of 69. President Adama Barrow gave the update at an emergency cabinet meeting which he convened on Thursday to discuss the crisis, according to a presidency statement. The syrups were found to be made by New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which has since had one of its factories shut down in northern India as health authorities there investigate. Gambia is also investigating the deaths and this week set up a new commission of inquiry to deal with them, the statement said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Pap Saine; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The WHO suspects that four of the syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited – Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup – have “unacceptable amounts” of chemicals that can damage the brain, lungs, liver and kidneys of those who take them. The deaths confounded medics until a pattern emerged: dozens of patients younger than five had fallen ill three to five days after taking a locally sold syrup made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals. CNN has reached out to Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, but has not yet heard back. All of the children had consumed Maiden Pharmaceuticals’ cough syrups, authorities added. One official told Reuters that the total number of deaths nationwide was “still being determined.”Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency said this week that the cough syrups had not been registered in the country.

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