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London: The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged for “immediate and concerted action” against contaminated medicines after a spate of child deaths linked to cough syrups last year, according to a report by Reuters.
More than 300 children, mostly under the age of five, died of acute kidney injury in 2022 in the Gambia, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan, according to a statement issued by the WHO on Monday. These deaths were linked to contaminated medications.
The medicines, over-the-counter cough syrups, had high levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
The UN health agency also said that the Philippines, Timor Leste, Senegal and Cambodia may potentially be impacted because they may have the medicines on sale.
Further, it called for action across its 194 member states to prevent more deaths.
“Since these are not isolated incidents, WHO calls on various key stakeholders engaged in the medical supply chain to take immediate and coordinated action,” WHO said.
In October 2022 and January 2023, the WHO released specific product alerts asking for the medicines to be removed from the shelves, for cough syrups made by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals and Marion Biotech, which are linked with deaths in the Gambia and Uzbekistan respectively.
On 22 December 2022, Uzbekistan alleged that 18 children had died after consuming medicines manufactured by Marion Biotech company.
Afterwards, India’s health ministry subsequently suspended production at the company and Uzbekistan banned the import and sale of Doc-1 Max.
WHO also issued a warning last year for cough syrups made by four Indonesian manufacturers, PT Yarindo Farmatama, PT Universal Pharmaceutical, PT Konimex and PT AFI Pharma, that were sold domestically.
With inputs from agencies
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