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Famatta
Ruth Bryant's death and the FANSIDAR anti-malarial
drug
Monday,
January 23, 2006
By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
I met her
about six years ago, when a friend I was visiting at
the time introduced me to the lady whom I was
privileged to share few political conversations with
over the years, whenever we were in the company of
others.
She was tough and no-nonsense, and because of
her very testy nature, we were able to mutually agree
or disagree (depending on the topic of our
discussions), and have been fan of each other until
her tragic and unexpected death while visiting
Liberia.
Famatta Ruth Bryant passed away on December 29,
at the age of 50, at the ELWA Hospital in Monrovia
after she took the anti-malaria medication, FANSIDAR,
a brand of Sulfandoxine and Pyrimethamine tablets,
which can rarely cause serious (possibly fatal)
allergic reactions and other side effects.
The late Famatta Ruth Bryant
August 24, 1955 - December 29, 2005
When she died, the rumor mill and unconfirmed
reports had it that her jealous enemies - the ones she
had not seen in decades gave Ruth the
"# 1."
In other words, she was stricken by witchcraft or
voodoo to the fatal maximum first degree, when the mosquitoes or the bug her perceived
enemies mysteriously sent her bit her. It was also
reported that there was discoloration of her
body and skin, which gave credence to those who
believed she had been witched in Liberia.
Well, according to MedicineNet.com, the online
healthcare media publishing company, FANSIDAR can
cause skin rash, itching, severe peeling of the skin,
severe sunburn, discoloration of the skin, soreness of
the tongue, increased sensitivity of the skin,
loosening of skin, sore mouth, seizure, diarrhea,
headache, nervousness, liver damage or lung injury,
nausea, kidney disease and other adverse potentially
fatal reactions.
If that’s the case with this anti-malarial
FANSIDAR drug, then why is it not regulated by the
government? Why is FANSIDAR and other drugs being widely sold on the black markets like
bread or our staple, rice?
And why did the Ministry of Health and the
Liberian pharmaceutical industry allowed FANSIDAR and
other dangerous drugs (expired and unexpired) to be
sold on the sidewalks and open markets of Liberia
without a prescription or the guidance of a qualified,
competent and licensed medical doctor?
Malaria is a serious medical crisis in Liberia.
Children, adults and the elderly are not spare when
the illness hits.
As much as malaria has been a pandemic in
the country since its founding, one would think every
available effort would be made by past administrations
to declare a war on the disease by providing safe and
affordable medications for those affected.
There are many Famatta Ruth Bryant I am sure
who suffered from malaria, took the
medication and later died because of the adverse
reactions to the drug.
These individuals died and were buried without
any autopsy done, or without anybody in the media or government
doing all they can to research the cause of death, and
exposing the
consequences of the drug by putting pressure on the
drug-makers to look into why their drugs are causing
such fatalities.
And like other countries and their consumer advocates
who are going after the drug-makers for the fatal
reactions of the drugs they put on the markets, I
think Liberians ought to do the same so that the drug
companies will be punished for their crimes, and also
for the surviving
family members to receive compensations for their
loved ones who died because of the recklessness and
negligence of the drug-makers, who will rather put
anything on the Liberian markets to make money.
Ruth Bryant's death is a wake up call, and a warning
to all Liberians with relatives back home. It is
advisable that those Liberians tell their relatives to be
extremely careful with the malaria drugs or any drugs they take,
because not everything
that resembles a medication is a medication suitable
for ingestion.
Famatta Ruth Bryant emigrated to the United
States in 1977, after a stint in the Liberian Armed
Forces and the elite Special Security Service (SSS),
the protective branch of government responsible for
the security of the president of Liberia.
Her body was returned to the United States - to the
Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and was laid
to rest on Saturday, January 21, 2006.
Her three children, Barbara, Omaru and Famatta
survive Ruth. May her soul rest in peace.
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