Gambia urgently recalls India-made cough syrups blamed for 66 child deaths

New Delhi, Oct 06: After WHO alert, Gambia authorities have launched an urgent door-to-door campaign to remove the medicines from each house in the tiny West African country.

Speaking to The Associated Press, the Director of Health Dr. Mustapha Bittaye confirmed the wave of child deaths from acute kidney injury, sending shockwaves across the country of 2.4 million people and around the world.

"Over the last week, we admitted a child with this condition (acute kidney injury) ... and she has unfortunately died. We were able to confirm that she had taken one of the drugs that is suspected to be causing this, prior to her arrival at our clinic. It had been bought at a pharmacy within The Gambia," said the Gambian authorities.

The world global body issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India have been potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children.

The four products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup. The stated manufacturer of these products is Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India).

To date, the stated manufacturer has not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products.

Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal Toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.