WHO issues a warning over 'contaminated' cough syrup made in India and distributed in Iraq

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday issued a warning to a batch of cold syrup made in India and sold in Iraq after it was found to be "contaminated" and "not fit" for consumption.

This syrup, under the brand name Cold Out, was sold in Iraq and manufactured by Fourrts Laboratories (India) for Dabilife Pharma. The World Health Agency found the syrup had contaminant limits above the permissible limits - diethylene and ethylene glycol, Reuters news agency reported.

In its health product warning, WHO says the batch of syrup contains 0.25% diethylene glycol and 2.1% ethylene glycol, while the acceptable safe limit for both is 0.10%.

According to WHO, manufacturers and distributors failed to provide the agency with assurances about the quality and safety of their products. The companies have yet to respond to the WHO's allegations and warnings.

So far, five "contaminated" syrups linked to Indian manufacturers have come under scrutiny.

Last month, the Central Drug Standards Control Organization (CDSCO), in collaboration with the State Drug Control Authority of Madhya Pradesh, ordered pharmaceutical company Riemann Labs to stop production of the related cough syrup. to child deaths in Cameroon.

It comes after WHO issued a warning about cough syrup supplied to Cameroon saying that analysis found the product contained "an unacceptable amount of diethylene glycol as a contaminant".

Previously, Indian-made cough syrup was linked to the deaths of 66 and 18 children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, respectively, last year. Although the WHO links cough syrup-related deaths to medicines made in India, the country's pharmaceutical exports are expected to reach $27 billion this financial year. nearly doubled from the previous year.

India's pharmaceutical exports grew by 3.25% in the last financial year to $25.4 billion and are expected to grow by about 6.3% in the current financial year to $27 billion.