WHO urges action after cough syrup linked to more than 300 child deaths | World Health Organization

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The World Health Organization has called for “immediate and concerted action” to protect children from contaminated medicines after a series of deaths in children linked to cough medicine last year.

The World Health Organization said in a statement on Monday that more than 300 children – most of them under the age of five – in Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan died in 2022 from acute kidney injury in deaths linked to contaminated medicines.

Medications, over-the-counter cough syrups, contain high levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

“These pollutants are toxic chemicals used as industrial solvents and anti-icing agents that can be fatal even if ingested in small amounts, and should never be found in medicines,” the WHO said.

In addition to the countries listed above, the World Health Organization told Reuters on Monday that the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Senegal and Cambodia may be affected because the drugs may be on sale. It called for action across the 194 member states to prevent further deaths.

“As these are not isolated incidents, WHO calls on the various key stakeholders involved in the medical supply chain to take immediate and coordinated action,” the WHO said.

The World Health Organization already sent product alerts in October and earlier this month, requesting removal from shelves, for cough medicines made by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals and Marion Biotech, which are linked to deaths in Gambia and Uzbekistan, respectively.

It also issued a warning last year about cough medicines made by four Indonesian companies, PT Yarindo Pharmatama, PT Universal Pharmaceuticals, PT Konymix and PTIFI Pharma, which were sold domestically.

The companies involved denied that their products were contaminated or refused to comment during investigations.

The World Health Organization has reiterated its call for products marked above to be removed from circulation, and more broadly for countries to ensure that any medicines for sale are approved by the appropriate authorities.

It also asked governments and regulators to allocate resources to inspect manufacturers, increase market surveillance and take action where appropriate.

It called on manufacturers to purchase raw ingredients only from qualified suppliers, test their products more thoroughly and keep records of the process.

The World Health Organization added that suppliers and distributors must check for signs of counterfeiting and distribute or sell only approved medicines.

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