The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised an alert over four fever, cold and cough syrups made by an Indian company, after 66 children died in The Gambia.
The WHO told reporters the four cold and cough syrups in question ‘have been potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children.’
All the four syrups Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup are made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
The link to the unfortunate deaths is still under investigation, as the WHO said it was also ‘conducting further investigation with the company and regulatory authorities in India.’
The UN health agency also warned the contaminated medications may have been distributed outside Africa, with ‘possible global exposure’ and urged people to not consume them.
‘Laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. To date, these four products have been identified in Gambia, but may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions,’ the WHO said in an alert.
All batches of the products ‘should be considered unsafe’ till they are analyzed by the respective national regulatory authorities, it added.
Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are harmful to the system and can cause a host of toxic reactions, including abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury that may lead to death.
‘The substandard products referenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death,’ the WHO cautioned.