The cough drops may contain the toxic substances ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol. How the substances ended up there, and which brands are involved, is not yet clear. The contaminated cough syrups have been found in at least seven countries, according to the WHO, and children have died in three countries. Most of the victims are younger than 5 years old. Earlier, the WHO warned about the drinks in Indonesia, Gambia and Uzbekistan.
Not just one pharmaceutical
According to the WHO, there are no ‘isolated incidents’. That is why the warning has been sent to all 194 Member States. In The Gambia, the deaths were linked to the company Maiden Pharmaceuticals, but that does not market products in Indonesia, so it is suspected that the problem is not limited to one pharmaceutical company.
Ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol are used, among other things, as antifreeze in cars. If people ingest it, they may experience abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, delusions and kidney failure, and eventually death. A lower dose is dangerous in children than in adults.
In Indonesia, 25 parents have filed a lawsuit against the government, because they believe that it has not acted adequately enough. 200 children died in the country from cough syrup, including 2-year-old Umar. His mother tells in this video what happened:
