Cough syrup deaths in Gambia serious issue: W.H.O. official

W.H.O. chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said the death of children in Gambia, potentially linked to four Indian-made cough syrups, was a serious issue

World Health Organization (W.H.O.) chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said the death of children in Gambia, potentially linked to four Indian-made cough syrups, was a serious issue.

W.H.O. chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said the death of children in Gambia, potentially linked to four Indian-made cough syrups, was a serious issue. (REUTERS FILE)

Swaminathan was speaking on Thursday to reporters on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN). A W.H.O. report has linked the death of 66 children in Gambia to four Indian-made cough syrups.

“Certainly, the government is in touch with W.H.O. as World health body actually provided the report based on the investigation which was done to prove that it was because of the diethylene glycol contamination. It is a very serious issue and it has to be taken very seriously,” said Swaminathan.

In India there are central as well as state-level drug regulators and there is a need to harmonise their operations, she said.

“There are no mechanisms where regulators of different states can actually work together, do the inspections on each other’s products,” she said.

For India to remain a leader in generic medicines and vaccines space, it is important to prove that “we have a very strong regulatory system,” she said.