Gambia's Cough Syrup Raises Death Toll In Indonesia

After the tragic deaths in Indonesia, the nation has halted the sale of all syrup and liquid medicines. It comes only weeks after The Gambia's cough syrup was connected to the deaths of over 70 youngsters. According to Budi Gunadi Sadikin, as reported by the BBC, some syrups used by AKI children under the age of five were found to contain ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol that was not intended to be present or in small amounts.

As per Indonesia, certain syrup medications had substances connected to acute kidney injury (AKI), which have killed 99 young infants this year. On Thursday, Indonesian health authorities stated that they had documented over 200 instances of AKI in youngsters, the majority of whom were under the age of five.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a global notice earlier this month after four cough syrups were linked to the tragic incident, and it was discovered that the syrups used there, manufactured by an Indian pharmaceutical business, had "unacceptably high levels" of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. According to the organisation, the syrups have been "possibly connected with acute renal damage."

According to Indonesia's Health Minister on Thursday, the same chemical substances were found in particular locally used drugs. However, it is not revealed how many cases included dangerous drugs. In India and The Gambia, investigations are now underway: Indian officials discovered that Maiden Pharmaceuticals violated standards in its production and testing operations. After learning about several safety violations, regulators claimed they had halted all production activity at the New Delhi-based business. This was in light of the gravity of the violations discovered during the inquiry and the possible danger to the quality, safety, and efficacy of the medicine being manufactured.

According to Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist from Griffith University, the actual death toll might be far higher than recorded, specifically when situations like this occur (what we know is) at the top of the glacier, which implies there could be far more casualties.

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