Last year, the West African nation of Gambia was struck by a devastating health crisis when at least 70 children lost their lives due to four types of medicine imported from India.
A presidential commission of inquiry revealed that the syrups contained alarming levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, substances commonly used as antifreeze, which led to acute kidney failure in dozens of children.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) condemned the situation, classifying the quantities of these chemicals as “unacceptable” and emphasizing the grave risks they pose.
Following the tragedy, Gambia took swift action, recalling all cough and cold syrups in circulation and products manufactured by the Indian company Maiden Pharmaceuticals, the source of the contaminated medicines.
The commission’s findings highlighted a troubling lack of proper registration with the medicines control agency, which should have been a prerequisite for their import. In response, the inquiry underscored the urgent need for a quality control laboratory to thoroughly test all imported medicines.
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Gambia’s Health Minister acknowledged the need for improvement in the country’s health system, proposing the establishment of a school of pharmacy at the university and stricter controls on medicines in circulation.
The government also expressed its intention to explore legal action against Maiden Pharmaceuticals to seek compensation for the victims.
As a result of the health scandal, India shut down the Maiden Pharmaceuticals factory located in northern India. However, the case is far from closed, as a trial is scheduled to take place in Gambia in October.
The WHO echoed the urgency for “immediate and coordinated action” to eliminate non-compliant and falsified medicines, with particular focus on contaminated cough syrups.
Disturbingly, the tragedy in Gambia is not an isolated incident, with a reported death toll of 300 children in countries like Indonesia and Uzbekistan linked to these unsafe medicines.
As the trial looms and calls for action grow stronger, international attention turns to preventing such disasters and ensuring the safety of medicines worldwide.
