WHO chief scientist flags deaths in Gambia by cough syrup as serious issue

Pune: Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), stated on Thursday that the death of children in the Gambia, which may have been caused by four cough syrups made in India, was a serious problem.

Swaminathan was addressing the media at the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN) 's annual general meeting.

According to a WHO report, four cough syrups made in India have been linked to the deaths of 66 kids in the Gambia.

"Certainly, the government is in touch with WHO as WHO actually provided the report based on the investigation which was done to prove that it was because of the diethylene glycol contamination. It is a very serious issue and it has to be taken very seriously," said Swaminathan.

"In India, there are central as well as state-level drug regulators and there is a need to harmonize their operations," she said.

"There are no mechanisms where regulators of different states can actually work together, do the inspections on each other's products," she said.

For India to remain a leader in the generic medicines and vaccines space, it is important to prove that "we have a very strong regulatory system," she said.

With PTI inputs