Accra, March 28, GNA - The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Friday warned the public to be on their guard against a horde of aphrodisiacs flooding the markets, which are being sold as natural and herbal medicines. The FDB warned that the unregistered aphrodisiacs, which are packaged with glamorous pornographic pictures, are mostly from South East Asia and contained dangerous chemicals harmful to the health of users.

The Reverend Joe Martey, Head of the Drugs Division of the Board, briefing the media in Accra, said most of the sexual enhancement medicines had inscriptions in Chinese making it difficult for users to read and understand.

These unregistered medicines were noticed on the market during the Board's routine post-market surveillance.

He said laboratory investigations had confirmed that most of the medicines contained active ingredients, such as Sildenafil in Viagra, but these exceeded the approved limit of chemicals making it extremely dangerous for people with hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.

Some of the aphrodisiacs have brand names such as USA Viagra, Viagra 100% Supper Man, Power 007, Man's Gold, Special Effects and Supper Overlord.

Rev. Martey said the products entered the Ghanaian markets from both official and unofficial routes as part of personal belongings of travellers making it difficult for security personnel at the checkpoints to detect them.

"These medicines get here and they are re-packaged into these attractive boxes for sale to the general public by unregistered and unqualified hawkers," he added.

He noted that Ghana had one of the safest markets for medicines in the sub-region and the FDB would not allow the creation of "a market where medicines are sold like cassava and plantain". Rev. Martey also cautioned women who purchased sanitary pads and baby diapers in single units instead of the pack to desist from that practice since it would expose them to infections due to contamination. "It has also come to our notice that some people with eye problems, who are not able to afford prescribed eye drops, go for daily drops at pharmacy shops and this, I must confess, is extremely dangerous and such people should desist from it."

He advised that all medicines should be purchased from recognized pharmacy shops whilst people found selling unregistered aphrodisiacs should be reported to the Board or the Police.