A brand of children's medicine sold in Cameroon has been found to contain toxic levels of diethylene glycol, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO issued a product alert on Wednesday, stating that the Naturcold syrup had more than 200 times the acceptable limit of the contaminant. The syrup contained 28.6% of diethylene glycol, while the acceptable limit is no more than 0.1%. The WHO did not mention any casualties associated with the medicine.
This revelation follows a report by Bloomberg on June 19, which stated that Cameroonian officials suspected that Naturcold had caused the death of around twelve children. The medicine, which is commonly used to relieve symptoms of the common cold, flu, and allergies, was first reported to the WHO in March. However, the samples of Naturcold were only made available for testing on June 27.
The WHO-contracted laboratory analyzed the Naturcold samples and confirmed the presence of high levels of diethylene glycol. The drug manufacturer, Fraken International, was named in the WHO notice, although the product alert featured a picture of the company as the marketer.
Riemann Labs Pvt. Ltd., an Indian drugmaker, stated in a previous interview with Bloomberg that the medicine in the photo obtained from Cameroonian health officials "looked like" their product. However, they emphasized that they follow strict quality controls and counterfeit versions of their medicine are common.
As of now, Riemann Labs could not be reached for comment, and a spokesman from the Cameroonian health ministry has not responded to inquiries.
This incident marks the fourth outbreak of mass deaths associated with tainted medicine in the past year. Similar incidents have occurred in Gambia, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan. The presence of toxic substances in medicine raises serious concerns about the safety and quality control measures in the pharmaceutical industry, emphasizing the need for stringent regulations and oversight to protect public health.