According to a Reuters exclusive, Gambia has hired an American law firm to initiate legal actions over the link between India-made cough syrups and 70 child deaths in the country.
Overview
The Gambian government initiated an investigation that identified Indian medicines as the likely cause of the death of 70 children, mostly under five years, who died of acute kidney failure between June and October last year.
According to the country’s justice minister, Dawda Jallow, the government was considering international litigation. However, he did not clarify who the legal action would target.
Test Cough Syrups for Exports on Top Priority, Issue Reports at Earliest': DCGI Amid Gambia-Uzbek Rowhttps://t.co/tiJIrSXSRD https://t.co/IdyKmoDvA3 pic.twitter.com/pxmvmOo64c
— Himani Chandna (@ChandnaHimani) May 24, 2023
Nevertheless, he said that the litigation was being considered after a government-backed causality assessment led by international experts. It was presented to President Adama Barrow in April. However, it has not been made accessible to the public.
However, Reuters accessed the report, which analysed 56 acute injury cases. It concluded that at least 22 deaths were “very likely” caused by poisoning after taking the cough syrups.
While the other 30 deaths could not be confirmed to be caused by the medicines, it was “highly suggestive” that the children died due to the toxins. In the remaining four cases, there was not ample evidence.
The doctors reporting to the panel also said that they had tested all medicines the children consumed and only the Indian cough syrups were toxic.
India’s health ministry and the pharmaceutical company accused have not responded to reports. The WHO has also refused to comment.
Controversy
The developments come in light of reported links between 70 child deaths and cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which has denied any wrongdoing.
#MaidenPharmaceuticals has remained incommunicado on concerns raised by WHO on cough & cold syrup.
— Ayushmann Kumar (@Iam_Ayushmann) October 6, 2022
Company's office in Delhi is locked, the Director is silent on allegations. @CDSCO_INDIA_INF is conducting an investigation in the Sonipat factory. pic.twitter.com/Ro6rCdSOQR
Earlier in 2023, the WHO also confirmed the presence of lethal toxins in certain cough syrups, resulting in a worldwide investigation into contaminated medication. The tests conducted by the organisation showed that the medicines contained diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, both of which are used in car brakes. The two chemicals give a cheap alternative to propylene glycol, a key ingredient in syrups.
The Indian government has supported the pharmaceutical giant, saying that its test did not find traces of harmful chemicals. In fact, it previously said the WHO did not prove a causal link between the medicines and the deaths, further accusing the organisation of disparaging its $41 billion pharmaceutical industry.
Nevertheless, India has mandated testing for exported cough syrups.
Despite its defence, Indian cough syrups have also been accused of causing 19 child deaths in Uzbekistan. This has raised concern about India’s low drug testing standards in its pharmaceutical sector, mainly as it is a crucial exporter of medicines and pharmaceutical raw materials worldwide.
Concerningly, a UN report published last month said that substandard and fake medicines like contraband cough syrups from Belgium, China, France, and India kill almost half a million Sub-Saharan Africans annually.