Affaire Softcare : le ministère de la Santé lève les doutes et confirme la conformité des produits
This Thursday, March 5, 2026, marks a decisive and favorable turning point for Softcare, a company specializing in baby diapers and sanitary napkins. After several months of uncertainty and strong pressure from civil society, the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene held a press conference this morning to unveil the conclusions of the joint investigation.
Sanitary compliance confirmed by experts
The Minister of Health, Dr. Ibrahima Sy, announced the definitive resolution of health concerns. The investigation, conducted by the Health and Trade departments and an information mission from the National Assembly, confirms that the products currently on the market scrupulously comply with safety standards. Regarding the expired raw materials that had raised concerns, the report specifies that the stocks identified during the inspection at the Sindia (Thiès) factory in December 2025 were isolated in a separate warehouse. The Minister also certified that these components were never used in the production process.
Administrative shortcomings under close scrutiny
While product safety was not compromised, the investigation revealed logistical and documentation deficiencies. The government has therefore imposed a quarterly monitoring protocol on Softcare for the next two years to ensure full traceability. The company must now comply with several strict requirements, including a ban on the prolonged storage of expired products at the production site, even for analytical purposes.
Furthermore, Softcare needs to address its documentation deficiencies related to suppliers, inventory management, and microbiological controls. A pharmacist has already been recruited to fill the gaps identified during the October 2025 inspection.
The minister admitted that the initial handling of this crisis lacked factual rigor. Dr. Ibrahima Sy stated that everyone was agitated and carried away by emotion, specifying that the initial recall decisions had been made without a legal or scientific basis, and without any prior testing of the products on sale.
To illustrate the absence of fraud, the minister brandished physical evidence: an expired textile material found at the factory measured 95 mm wide, whereas the Softcare sanitary napkins sold exclusively use a width of 90 mm. This technical difference proves, according to the government, that the expired stock was not used in manufacturing.
Finally, Dr. Sy criticized the unjustified withdrawal of baby diapers, which should never have been affected since only sanitary napkins were suspected. While remaining firm on the health of Senegalese citizens, the government reaffirms its commitment to protecting the national industry. From now on, the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority (ARP) will have to work closely with the Ministry of Commerce to guide companies toward exemplary compliance.
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