The head of WHO earlier said the UN agency was investigating the deaths in the African country.
India is investigating the deaths of dozens of children in the Gambia that the World Health Organization (WHO) says may be linked to a cough syrup made in the South Asian country, two from India’s Ministry of Health told Reuters news agency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday told reporters The United Nations agency is investigating the deaths from acute kidney injury with India’s drug regulator and New Delhi-based cough syrup maker Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
The agency notified India’s Narcotics Control-General of the deaths late last month, after which the regulator opened an investigation with state agencies parallel to the investigation by the State Department. WHO, the people said.
Maiden Pharmaceuticals only manufactures and exports the syrup to the West African country, the people said.
Calls from Reuters to a phone number listed by Maiden Pharmaceuticals went unanswered, as did email requests for comment. Calls to India’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control outside office hours also went unanswered.
The Indian government has asked WHO to share its report regarding deaths from cough syrup and said it will take “all necessary steps in this regard”, officials said. .
