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6 Dec 2022

Indonesia & Gambia: Children die after allegedly developing acute kidney problems from cough syrup

At least 199 people in Indonesia and 60 in Gambia, mostly children, have died from acute kidney problems allegedly caused by cough syrup medicine containing liquids typically used in antifreeze. Experts suspect that both numbers are an under-count, noting that some of the first cases may not have been recorded as kidney failure because the children were suffering from other illnesses and the fact that many were unaware of the potentially contaminated medicines.

In October the Indonesian government banned the sale of all syrup medicines. According to the Indonesia Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), the antifreeze chemicals had been found in locally-produced products, including fever medicines Termorex Syrup, Unibebi Fever Syrup and Unibebi Fever Drops, as well as cough medicines Unibebi Cough Syrup and Flurin DMP Syrup. A dozen Indonesian families whose relatives died or fell ill after consuming cough syrup medicines have sued the Indonesian government and seven companies accused of supplying the products.

In October the WHO ordered cough syrup products made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India be removed from sale after the deaths of children in Gambia. Indian health authorities have halted production at Maiden Pharmaceuticals.

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