WHO urges 'immediate action' after cough syrup deaths - Reuters

LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization has called for "immediate and concerted action" to support children from contaminated medicines aft a spate of kid deaths linked to cough syrups past year.

In 2022, much than 300 children - chiefly aged nether 5 - successful Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan died of acute kidney injury, successful deaths that were associated with contaminated medicines, the WHO said successful a connection connected Monday.

The medicines, over-the-counter cough syrups, had precocious levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

"These contaminants are toxic chemicals utilized arsenic concern solvents and antifreeze agents that tin beryllium fatal adjacent taken successful tiny amounts, and should ne'er beryllium recovered successful medicines," the WHO said.

As good arsenic the countries above, the WHO told Reuters connected Monday that the Philippines, Timor Leste, Senegal and Cambodia whitethorn perchance beryllium impacted due to the fact that they whitethorn person the medicines connected sale. It called for enactment crossed its 194 subordinate states to forestall much deaths.

"Since these are not isolated incidents, WHO calls connected assorted cardinal stakeholders engaged successful the aesculapian proviso concatenation to instrumentality contiguous and coordinated action," WHO said.

The WHO has already sent circumstantial merchandise alerts successful October and earlier this month, asking for the medicines to beryllium removed from the shelves, for cough syrups made by India's Maiden Pharmaceuticals and Marion Biotech, which are linked with deaths successful Gambia and Uzbekistan respectively.

It besides issued a informing past twelvemonth for cough syrups made by 4 Indonesian manufacturers, PT Yarindo Farmatama, PT Universal Pharmaceutical, PT Konimex and PT AFI Pharma, that were sold domestically.

The companies progressive person either denied that their products person been contaminated oregon declined to remark portion investigations are ongoing.

The WHO reiterated its telephone for the products flagged supra to beryllium removed from circulation, and called much wide for countries to guarantee that immoderate medicines for merchantability are approved by competent authorities. It besides asked governments and regulators to delegate resources to inspect manufacturers, summation marketplace surveillance and instrumentality enactment wherever required.

It called connected manufacturers to lone bargain earthy ingredients from qualified suppliers, trial their products much thoroughly and support records of the process. Suppliers and distributors should cheque for signs of falsification and lone administer oregon merchantability medicines authorised for use, the WHO added.

Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Christina Fincher

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