The World Health Organization has called for immediate and concerted action to protect children from contaminated medicines, after deaths of children linked to contaminated cough medicines were recorded last year.
Over-the-counter cough medicines contain high levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
The World Health Organization states that “the found toxic chemicals are used as industrial solvents, and are lethal even if small quantities are ingested, and therefore should not be present in medicines.”
In addition to the three countries mentioned, the organization expressed in an interview with Reuters that the Philippines, Senegal, Cambodia and East Timor may be affected by the aforementioned medicines, because they are on sale.
As a result, the organization called on the 194 member states to take action to prevent further deaths.
The organization also sent warnings about products early this month, and requested that they be withdrawn from the shelves, especially cough medicines manufactured by the Indian company Maiden Pharmaceuticals, and Marion Biotech, whose name has been linked to causing the death of children in the Gambia and Uzbekistan.
It also issued a warning last year about cough medicines produced by four Indonesian companies: PT Yarindo Farmatama, PT Universal Pharmaceutical, PT Konimex PT AFI Pharma, all of which were sold in the local market, at a time when these companies refused to accuse their products of being contaminated, and were not even satisfied with the comment. during investigations.
Accordingly, the organization called on governments and regulators to dedicate resources to inspection of manufacturers, to increase market surveillance and to take action when necessary.
