Was cough syrup linked to child deaths exported? WHO seeks India’s clarification

An anxious World Health Organization on Wednesday asked New Delhi for an explanation on if any of these medications were also shipped to other nations after the death toll from the alleged ingestion of tainted cough syrups in India reached 20, according to news agency Reuters.

The global health organization also stated that, pending official confirmation from Indian authorities, it will investigate the necessity of a Global Medical Products Alert regarding Coldrif syrup, a medication that has been outlawed in a number of Indian states due to reports of child fatalities.

Notably, a 2023 investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Gambian health authorities discovered a clear correlation between the use of cough syrups made in India that were thought to be tainted and the deaths of several youngsters in the west African country. The global health organization had warned months prior to that report that four cough syrups given to the Gambia by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd., an Indian company, were subpar and might have contributed to the deaths of multiple youngsters in the nation.

Twenty children in India have died as a result of taking Coldrif, which tested positive for Diethylene Glycol (DEG), a highly toxic industrial chemical that is known to cause kidney failure, almost 500 times the allowable limit.

Dr. Praveen Soni, of Chhindwara, has been detained for alleged carelessness, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been established to look into the deaths. Additionally, a case has been filed against the company that makes Coldrif cough syrup, which is situated in Tamil Nadu.

The head of the Indian Medical Association, meanwhile, defended the accused pediatrician and blamed the government and pharmaceutical corporation for the cough syrup catastrophe.

This is in spite of the fact that Madhya Pradesh has had 20 child fatalities from the consumption of poisonous cough syrup, including four fresh deaths in the past 24 hours. Some cold syrups that shouldn’t be given to kids younger than four years old were still being offered, according to an investigation.

In Rajasthan, similar incidents have also been reported. Several governments have responded by banning Coldrif and initiating investigations, including Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand.

The death toll is rising in spite of official actions and continuing investigations, leaving distraught parents in a state of despair. Leaders of the opposition have called for responsibility and prompt, open action. Congressman Sachin Pilot has demanded a judicial investigation into the child fatalities connected to the tainted cough syrup, arguing that a government investigation is insufficient to fully reveal the truth.