The WHO on Monday called for “immediate and coordinated action” to stamp out inappropriate and counterfeit medicines after more than 300 children died from contaminated cough syrups, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

In the past four months, at least seven countries have reported cases linked to over-the-counter pediatric cough syrups, the World Health Organization said in a statement.

More than 300 deaths were linked to such drugs in three of those countries: The Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan, the organization said, adding that most of the deaths occurred among “children under the age of five.”

The reported cases involve confirmed or suspected contamination of some cough syrups manufactured in India with high levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

Industrial solvents in counterfeit medicines

“These contaminants are toxic chemicals used as industrial solvents or in antifreeze solutions and can be fatal even if ingested in small amounts,” the WHO warned, adding that they “should never be in medicines.”

The organization launched its first warning after the deaths of children in Gambia in October, followed a month later by a second warning for Indonesia and another earlier this month for Uzbekistan.

The WHO issued a warning about the syrups produced by the Indian companies Marion Biotech and Maiden Pharmaceuticals, and called on countries to step up efforts to identify and remove from circulation all contaminated drugs, to more closely monitor supply chains and sound the alarm in case of detection of -compatible products.

The WHO claims that “these are not isolated cases” and calls for “immediate and coordinated measures.”

What the WHO is asking the competent authorities about

Regulatory bodies, as well as governments, must identify and withdraw all non-compliant medical products that have been identified following WHO warnings and ensure that the products come from approved suppliers and that their marketing is approved by the competent authorities.

Drug manufacturers should “buy only pharmaceutical excipients and only from accredited suppliers,” the WHO emphasized.

Pharmaceutical companies must keep full records of the purchases they make, conduct “exhaustive testing” of ingredients before use, and provide product quality certificates.

Finally, according to the WHO, drug suppliers and manufacturers should “always check for signs of counterfeiting” and only sell drugs that are used by competent authorities.

The global problem of falsified medicines and medical equipment has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the disruption of supply chains and shortages that occurred in the first months of the spread of the coronavirus.