Indonesia bans cough mixture linked to 99 child deaths
- The government has temporarily banned sales of all syrup-based medications and is looking closely at paracetamol syrups used to treat fever in children
- Five out of 26 syrups tested contained excessive levels of ethylene glycol, but may not be solely responsible for causing illness, food and drug agency says
Some medicinal syrups available in Indonesia contained ingredients linked to fatal acute kidney injury (AKI) in children, its health minister said on Thursday, as it investigates a spike in cases and 99 child deaths this year.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin was also cited by media as saying some of those syrups were produced locally.
Indonesia has temporarily banned sales of all syrup-based medications and has been looking closely at paracetamol syrups containing toxic diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol that have been used to treat fever in children.
Gambia’s government is also investigating child AKI deaths linked to paracetamol syrups after 70 fatalities there. The syrups were made by New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which India said it is investigating.
Indonesia’s food and drug agency (BPOM) has said Maiden Pharmaceuticals’ products are not available locally.
Ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol were detected in syrups found at the homes of some patients, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday, without specifying how many.