KINSHASA, August 27, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo has ordered the immediate nationwide withdrawal of insecticides containing dichlorvos, including the widely used product sold under the SNIPER brand, following repeated warnings about acute and fatal poisoning risks.

The decision marks a major public-health intervention involving a chemical product commonly found in homes and commercial outlets across the country.

According to the regulatory decision reported by BETO, the Congolese Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority, known as ACOREP, has withdrawn the marketing authorizations for specialties and generic products containing dichlorvos, also identified as DDVP.

The prohibition applies to the importation, manufacture, distribution, commercialization and use of affected products throughout the DRC. Importers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers have been instructed to remove existing stocks from circulation and secure them for destruction under the supervision of ACOREP.

ACOREP said its intervention followed health alerts, recurring cases of acute and fatal intoxication and scientific evidence pointing to significant toxicological risks.

The regulator's action gives the government a clear public-health message: products containing dichlorvos should no longer be sold or used in Congolese homes, businesses or agricultural activities.

Opinion Info confirmed that the withdrawal is immediate and national. The measure covers more than the SNIPER brand name; it applies to every regulated product containing dichlorvos.

This distinction is important because the chemical may appear under different commercial names. Consumers and traders should therefore check the active ingredients listed on insecticide containers instead of relying only on the brand displayed on the front.

Why dichlorvos is considered dangerous