WHO Urges Surveillance As Cough Syrups Kill 300 Children In Three Countries
Category: Health Matters
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said 300 children have died following
the use of contaminated cough syrups in three countries.
WHO
issued a medical product alert on October 5, 2022, focused on The Gambia
regarding four products — Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough
Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
READ: CODEINE: Pharmacists Council Starts Recall Of Cough Syrup
It issued another alert on November 6, 2022, focused on Indonesia concerning
about eight products — Termorex syrup (batch AUG22A06 only), Flurin DMP syrup,
Unibebi Cough Syrup, Unibebi Demam Paracetamol Drops, Unibebi Demam
Paracetamol Syrup, Paracetamol Drops (manufactured by PT Afi Farma),
Paracetamol Syrup (mint) (manufactured by PT Afi Farma), and Vipcol Syrup.
On
January 11, 2023, it also published an alert focused on Uzbekistan regarding
two products — AMBRONOL syrup and DOK-1 Max syrup.
READ: 30,000 Bottles Of Codeine Consumed Daily In Niger State – Research
In a statement, the global health body said in the past four months,
countries have reported several incidents of over-the-counter cough syrups for
children with confirmed or suspected contamination with high levels of
diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
It said the contaminants are
toxic chemicals used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents that could
be fatal even taken in small amounts, and should never be found in
medicines.
READ: Three Million Bottles Of Codeine-Containing Syrup Consumed Daily In Kano, Jigawa
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