The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of the use of four contaminated medicines from an Indian manufacturer after dozens of deaths in children in West Africa. According to the WHO, the cough and cold syrups sold in Gambia are suspected of triggering acute kidney failure and causing the deaths of more than 60 children, as the WHO announced in Geneva on Wednesday. The Gambian health authorities also called for the suspected cough and cold syrups to no longer be prescribed. According to them, the children affected by kidney failure were under five years old.
According to the WHO, it is investigating the incident in cooperation with the manufacturer Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited and Indian authorities. It cannot be ruled out that the drugs in question were also used in other countries.
The Indian Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that it was examining samples of the cough syrups. Indian authorities also asked the WHO to provide information on the precise link between the deaths and the syrup. According to the ministry, the Indian manufacturing company only has a license to produce the cough syrups for export and they only exported them to Gambia. The Indian manufacturer could not be reached for comment on Thursday. India is known as the pharmacy of the world and produces many medicines inexpensively, especially for poorer countries.
