Gambia cough syrup scandal
| Date | October 2022 |
|---|---|
| Location | The Gambia |
| Type | Scandal |
| Participants | Maiden Pharmaceuticals |
| Outcome | Ongoing investigation |
| Deaths | 70 children |
Gambia cough syrup scandal refers to the deaths of 70 children in The Gambia from the consumption of four cough syrups manufactured in India. In October 2022, the World Health Organization issued a medical product alert asking regulators to remove Maiden Pharmaceuticals' products from the market. The four products were Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][excessive citations]
Indian authorities started conducting an inquiry into an April 2023 allegation that a pharmaceutical regulator in Haryana state, who holds a senior position in the state health department, accepted a bribe and switched samples of contaminated cough syrup before the state government laboratory tested them. The cough syrup in question was produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, and it has been implicated in child deaths in Gambia. The bribery allegation indicates that Maiden Pharmaceuticals had foreknowledge that their cough syrup was tainted. Tests conducted by two independent laboratories on behalf of the WHO confirmed the presence of lethal toxins—ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in the syrup. Indian authorities, however, did not find any toxins, but did identify labeling issues with Maiden Pharmaceuticals' cough syrup. Naresh Kumar Goyal, the founder of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, has previously denied any wrongdoing in the production of the syrup.[12]
Gambian families have decided to sue Indian manufacturer after the cough syrup deaths which is a result of toxic contamination. [13]
References
- ^ "Medical Product Alert N°6/2022: Substandard (contaminated) paediatric medicines". www.who.int. World Health Organization.
- ^ "India-made cough syrups may be tied to 66 deaths in Gambia: WHO". Al Jazeera. 5 October 2022.
- ^ Das, Krishna N. (7 October 2022). "India tests samples of cough syrup linked to deaths of children in Gambia". Reuters.
- ^ "Gambia cough syrup scandal: Mothers demand justice". BBC News. 7 October 2022.
- ^ "Gambia cough syrup scandal: Police investigate deaths linked to Indian medicine". BBC News. 9 October 2022.
- ^ "Cough-syrup scandal: How did it end up in The Gambia?". BBC News. 12 October 2022.
- ^ "India finds serious breaches, halts production over Gambia deaths". Al Jazeera. 12 October 2022.
- ^ "How 'Made in India' cough syrups ended up killing nearly 70 children in Gambia". The Independent. 12 October 2022.
- ^ "Explained | The Gambia deaths and the toxic cough syrups that are causing them". The Hindu. 17 October 2022.
- ^ Lawal, Shola (9 November 2022). "Families Whose Kids Died in Cough Syrup Scandal Offered $280 in Compensation". Vice.
- ^ "As African kids died, doctors fought for ban on toxic Indian syrup". Reuters. 10 March 2023.
- ^ "India probes bribery claim in toxic syrup tests". The Economic Times. 13 June 2023.
- ^ Mcallister, Edward (2023-06-30). "Exclusive: Gambia families sue Indian drugmaker after cough syrup deaths". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-07-04.