WHO Alerts Public on Three Cough Syrups Following Chhindwara Tragedy

WHO Flags Three Contaminated Cough Syrups: The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Monday about contaminated cough syrups and urged authorities in all countries to immediately report any detection of these drugs in their territories to the health agency.

Incident in Madhya Pradesh

In the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh, 23 newborn children died after consuming Coldriff cough syrup. After this incident, the government of many states banned this deadly cough syrup in India. The WHO also took cognizance of the matter.

Which drugs did the WHO warn about?

The WHO stated that the affected drugs include:

• Coldrif (Shrisan Pharmaceuticals)
• Respifresh TR (Rednex Pharmaceuticals)
• Relife (Shape Pharma)

The health agency warned that these contaminated products could pose serious health risks and potentially cause life-threatening illness.

Information from CDSCO

India's health authority, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), informed the WHO that these syrups were consumed by children under the age of five. They contained toxic diethylene glycol at concentrations nearly 500 times the permissible limit.

CDSCO also stated that these drugs were not exported from India, and no evidence of illegal exports has been found. The US FDA confirmed that these toxic cough syrups were not shipped to the United States.