The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned the general public to carefully read labels of all products before usage to avoid deaths.
This caution came as a result of the demise of 3 children through the use of a pesticide known as TOPSTOXIN.
Three children, who are nine-month old twin girls and a two-year old boy died on Friday, April 20, 2018, after their parents reportedly sprayed the agro-chemical, TOPSTOXIN in a bid to tackle cockroach infestation in their home.
The family, said to be residents of Abavana Down, a suburb of Accra, arrived at the 37 Military Hospital with severe respiratory problems, hours after inhaling the deadly substance.
A statement signed by the Head of Communication and Public Education at the FDA, James Lartey, revealed that the FDA dispatched officers to the 37 military hospital after the incident occurred to ascertain the cause of deaths.
The statement said "the FDA established that the family used the said pesticide which has aluminium phosphide as its active ingredient which released a highly toxic substance which was inhaled by the children, leading to their deaths".
Mr. Lartey said although the product is an agro-chemical, it is not regulated by the FDA and as such the FDA is liaising with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to investigate and effect arrests to the source and distributors of the product.
The FDA is also entreating the public to notify the authority when products which do not meet the standards are found on the market.
Topstoxin is a fumigation tablet for the control of insects in stored grain, processed food and feeds.
The substance, also known as AlP, is used as a rodenticide and insecticide and a fumigant for stored cereal grains.
Experts say it is used to kill small verminous mammals such as moles and rodents.
Meanwhile, the 37 Military Hospital is conducting an investigation into the cause of the death of three little siblings allegedly linked to the use of a spray, Topstoxin, which contains aluminium–phosphide, as its active ingredient.
A source close to the Hospital told the GNA that the parents of the children, who were admitted for ill health, last Friday, the day of the incident, had, however, been discharged.
Media reports say the children, nine-month-old twin girls and their two-year-old brother, died hours after one of their parents had sprayed the agro-chemical in their room to check crawling insects.
The parents are said to have followed the labelling instructions, which instructed users to stay away from the fumigated area, for at least five hours use.
It is suspected that they, however, indigested the deadly substance used for fumigation for the control of insects in stored grain, processed food and feeds.
The substance, also known as A1P, is used as a pesticide.
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