Deadly drug use in Yemen, 80 children die every day

Medical sources in Yemen’s capital Sana’a have reported that a new drug injection has spread in several pharmacies and hospitals under the control of the Houthi militia. This injection is given to pregnant women and newborn babies and causes their death.

The website ‘News Yemen’ quoted sources as saying that the (ANTD) injection is given to pregnant women at certain periods and currently there is a widely available injection in Sana’a which is fake. Laboratory tests and analysis revealed that the fake injection was a dexamethasone injection. It is used for allergies and has nothing to do with anti-D injections given to pregnant women.

Anti-D injection is given to a pregnant woman when her blood type is negative and her husband’s blood type is positive. Similarly, this injection is also given in case of any bleeding to the mother during pregnancy or miscarriage. This injection can be given after 27 weeks and also within 3 days after birth.

The High Medicine Authority in Yemen issued a circular to withdraw all fake injections from the Yemeni pharmaceutical market and asked not to use products manufactured in India. This injection was asked to refrain from using it because it is adulterated, unregistered and sold without a license. Despite the warning, injections are still widely available in Sana’a and Houthi-controlled areas. Being given to women during pregnancy. Due to this injection, many infant deaths are seen in the last days of pregnancy.

Official figures released by health authorities in Sana’a, which is controlled by the Houthis, revealed that more than 80 newborns died every day. 183 mothers were recorded without explaining the actual reasons behind these mysterious deaths. According to the statistics, about 33 thousand 132 deaths were recorded during the period from January 2021 to August 2022.

(Courtesy of Al Arabiya.net)