Nigeria gets antidote for baby poison. After Nigerian babies died from taking tainted teething syrup, medical officials flew in 100 doses of an antidote, reports the BBC. The syrup, called “My Pikin,” has caused at least 34 children to die from kidney failure. Some insist the number could be higher since not all parents can take their children to the hospital. Authorities have taken 425 bottles of the syrup from stores Nov. 21, just a couple of days after getting reports it might by tainted. The syrup contained diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient used in engine coolant. The syrup manufacturer has since been shut down by the government. The antidote is being flown in from the United Kingdom and should arrive in Nigeria by Thursday.

Haiti must protect girls, rights group says. The government of Haiti should do more to protect the safety and wellbeing of girls, according to a report by the human rights group Amnesty International, reports the BBC. The Caribbean island nation (the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere) has many problems, including hunger, governmental instability and crime. “[Haiti's government] is trying to strengthen development, good governance and the rule of law – none of which could be fully achieved without the protection of girls’ and women’s rights,” Gerardo Ducos, Amnesty’s Caribbean researcher said. According to the report, titled “Don’t turn your back on girls: Sexual violence against girls in Haiti,” the country doesn’t have any laws on the books specifically against domestic violence. Within the first half of this year (between January and June) there were 105 reported rapes, with more than half of the victims under 18, the report says. The problem could be worse, since the county are short of figures, it says. The Minors’ Protection Brigade, the unit in charge of safeguarding youngsters, is “woefully understaffed.” The report also described the justice system as being “weak and largely ineffectual” in its response to the crimes. “Sexual violence against girls, particularly rape, is pervasive in Haiti, and it can no longer be ignored,” Ducos said.

TAGS: Amnesty International, antidote, girls, haiti, poison, rape, teething syrup

Comments (4)