Summary
More than 20 children in India have died due to cough syrup contaminated with industrial chemicals. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are investigating global criminal activity related to contaminated medicines. This problem has affected other countries in the past, including The Gambia, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan.
Key Facts
- Over 20 children in India died due to cough syrup contamination with industrial chemicals.
- This issue has been ongoing for over 90 years, with similar incidents worldwide.
- Cases of contaminated cough syrup have been reported in The Gambia, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan, leading to more deaths.
- The WHO and UNODC launched an investigation into the problem, identifying criminal activity as a cause.
- Contaminated medicines often involve falsified documents and include substitution with cheaper, unsafe solvents.
- The problem affects mostly low- and middle-income countries.
- Unsafe substitutes are used in the manufacturing process to cut costs on oral liquid medicines.
