WHO Claims Recent Rash Of Child Deaths In Gambia Linked To Cough Syrups Manufactured In India- Know More

Amid the recent deaths of dozens of children in The Gambia from kidney damage that might be linked to contaminated cough and cold syrups manufactured by an Indian drug manufacturer, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated on October 5.

Maiden Pharmaceuticals' Cough & Cold Syrup

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, informed reporters that the United Nations (UN) agency was currently investigating along with Indian regulators and the drugmaker, the Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Maiden Pharma refused to give a statement on the alert, as per reports in Al Jazeera. Both Gambia and India's health ministry reportedly also refused to respond to a request for comment immediately.

Furthermore, the WHO also released a medical product alert instructing regulators to take down Maiden Pharma's goods from the market.

The products might have been distributed somewhere else through informal markets; however, they had so far only been pinpointed in The Gambia, the WHO stated in its official alert.

WHO Pushes Alert!

This above-mentioned alert also covers four products – Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Promethazine Oral Solution, Magrip N Cold Syrup and Makoff Baby Cough Syrup.

The WHO stated that lab analysis confirmed "unacceptable" amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, which can be toxic when consumed.

Meanwhile, the government of Gambia claimed that last month it was also investigating the deaths, as an increase in cases of acute kidney injury among children under five was detected in late July this year.

Medical officers in The Gambia raised the alarm in July, after several children began falling ill with kidney problems three to five days after taking a locally sold paracetamol syrup. By August, 28 had died, but health authorities said the toll would likely rise. Now 66 are dead, WHO said on Wednesday.

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