WINDHOEK, Jan. 19– Namibia‘s medicines regulator on Sunday issued a public advisory cautioning against the use of zinc picolinate and selenium-containing supplements in children under the age of 18, following a warning issued in neighboring South Africa over the safety and regulatory compliance of similar products.
The Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council (NMRC) said the advisory follows action taken by South Africa’s Health Products Regulatory Authority, which called on manufacturers to withdraw such products from the market.
While zinc derivatives and selenium are classified as low-risk substances under Namibia‘s medicines law, the NMRC said it is not mandating a recall of the products at this stage.
However, parents and caregivers are advised to consult healthcare professionals before administering the supplements to children.
The regulator also urged the public to report any suspected adverse reactions linked to the products through healthcare professionals to the country’s therapeutics information and pharmacovigilance centre, as part of ongoing post-marketing safety monitoring. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
