Quality assessment of some alcohol-based hand sanitizers circulating in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Nigeria

Abstract

The emergence of corona virus disease caused by SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) and the subsequent recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the use of non-pharmaceutical measures led to an upsurge in the production and sale of hand sanitizers across the globe including Nigeria. The present study examined fifty samples of hand sanitizers bought from Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. They were evaluated for quality using the following parameters; packaging, labeling, registration with Nigeria’s Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC), pH, and the alcohol content. Results show that 40 % of the circulating hand sanitizers in the market did not go through regulatory vetting, 34 % of the products did not have information on the country of manufacture, 32 % of the sanitizers had pH values within acceptable range, while 78 % of the products contained less than 60 % alcohol. This study gives an insight into the quality of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and we suggest an urgent need for the regulatory authorities of developing countries to enhance their surveillance and control of these substandard products in the society.