India is analyzing the deaths of dozens of children in The Gambia that the World Health Organization (WHO) said may be linked to a cough syrup made in the south Asian nation, 2 people from India’s health ministry told Thursday, 6 October
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday told reporters the U.N. agency was analyzing the deaths from serious kidney injuries with India’s drug control and New Delhi-based cough syrup manufacturer Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
The agency informed the Drugs Controller General of India of the demise late last month after which the regulator announced research with state officials, in tandem with the WHO probe, the people said.
Maiden manufactured and delivered the syrup only to the West African nation, the people said.
Hence the news media calls to a listed telephone number for Maiden went unanswered as did an emailed request for comment. Calls to the Drugs Controller General of India outside of office hours also went unanswered.
India’s government has asked the WHO to share its report linking the deaths with the cough syrup and will take “all required steps in the matter”, the people said.
