Children’s deaths in The Gambia and Indonesia: What to know
Al JazeeraTainted cough syrups pulled from the shelves after they were linked to dozens of deaths. In early October, the World Health Organization said the deaths in The Gambia may be linked to four contaminated cough and cold syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, an Indian drug manufacturer. The WHO said in a medical product alert on October 5 that excessive levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol had been found in the four products produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals and sold in The Gambia: Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup. The report also said the deaths from acute kidney injury were linked to four India-made cough syrups mentioned in the WHO’s alert, according to news agencies. Maiden Pharmaceuticals director Naresh Goyal told India’s Economic Times newspaper that “the deaths have been due to paracetamol syrup and not due to our cough syrups”.