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WHO flags regulation gaps after India child deaths from cough syrups
The World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced “deep concern” over gaps in India’s drug safety regulations, following the deaths of at least 20 children from contaminated cough syrups.
It has also warned that such medicines could reach other countries through unregulated distribution channels.
The deaths, reported from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan states over the past month, have been linked to three cough syrups, samples of which have been found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG) – a toxic substance found in industrial solvents.
India has arrested the owner of the pharma company behind the contaminated syrup, ordered a halt to production, and launched an investigation.
India’s drug regulator has identified three contaminated cough syrups – Coldrif (Sresan Pharmaceuticals), Respifresh (Rednex Pharmaceuticals), and ReLife (Shape Pharma) – and shared the information with WHO.
Many states have banned these cough syrups while some have prohibited the use of all cough and cold syrups for children under the age of two.
On Thursday, police arrested G Ranganathan, owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals. Mr Ranganathan, 73, is well-known in pharmaceutical circles and has been manufacturing medicines for decades.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramaniam said that the firm’s manufacturning licence was going to be “permanently cancelled”.
The deaths have made national headlines and become a subject of concern for many parents as it’s a common practice in India to administer oral syrups to children.
Most deaths have occurred in Madhya Pradesh among children under five, linked to Coldrif syrup, which reportedly caused fever, vomiting, urinary problems, and rapid death.
Praveen Soni, the doctor who prescribed the syrup, has been arrested for negligence, though Indian medical groups blame regulators for inadequate testing and oversight.
A Tamil Nadu Drug Control department inspection has found that Sresan Pharmaceuticals violated 364 manufacturing rules – 39 “very serious” and 325 “major.”
The report also cited poorly qualified staff, substandard water and equipment, lack of pest control, missing production monitoring procedures, and no quality assurance or data collection department.
“Manufactured products are stored in a very unhygienic manner…Sewage was discharged without purification. Water for drug production was stored in an unhygienic manner,” the report states.
Indian-made cough syrups have come under global scrutiny in recent years.
In 2023, Indian syrups tainted with diethylene glycol were linked to the deaths of 70 children in The Gambia and 18 in Uzbekistan.
Between December 2019 and January 2020, at least 12 children under five died in Jammu in Indian-administered Kashmir allegedly from cough syrup, with activists suggesting the number of casualties might have been higher.
[BBC]
An estimated 550,000 people took part in demonstrations across France today to protest against teaching conditions in schools, rising fuel prices and the cost of living.
Marches were largely peaceful and took place in several major French cities, including Paris, where 110,000 people attended.
“We just want to study, we just want a future” one student taking part in the protest in the capital told BBC News, while another said they were ” just trying to make things change”.
But French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said some groups “at the margins of these protests” caused the situation to “degenerate”.
According to the French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, 1200 people were arrested. Officials also reported looting in cities such as Marseille, where masked 8ntruders also entered the city hall. In Lyon, the tourist office was set on fire and shops were damaged.
French President Emmanuel Macron said any vandals and looters would be “prosecuted and punished”, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of left-wing party La France Insoumise, said demonstrations had been calmly mobilised.
Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle a blaze at Limoges City Hall after a reported break-in and arson inside the 19th-century building during protests there.
(BBC)
A large fire near a Canadian military base in Alberta has killed and injured some people, the defence minister said, without confirming the number of casualties.
The Canadian Armed Forces were working with local authorities to manage the fire and were looking into what caused it, David McGuinty said, describing the situation as “very, very active and delicate”.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said on X that a “serious incident creating a major fire” had occurred, adding his “thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected”.
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where the fire broke out, is one of the country’s busiest military training bases.
The blaze “spread rapidly due to high winds” and had torn through the fences of the base, the Municipal District of Wainwright said.
McGuinty told reporters he “cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory”.
It is unclear when the fire broke out, but the district first posted about the incident at about 17:30 local time.
Local authorities have urged residents to avoid the area and give all emergency vehicles right of way.
(BBC)
The Asian Youth Games gold medallist who has run sub four minutes previously returned a time of 3:55.97 seconds to become the first athlete in his age category at these championships to run the distance under four minutes.
Achintha who has a personal best of 3:53.05 from last year was representing Prince College Ratnapura today.
In another impressive 1,500 m feat Tharushi Abhisheka of Lyceum International School, Wattala established a new meet record in the Under-20 Girls’ 1,500m as she returned a time of 4:34.59 seconds to win.
By the end of the second day of the meet seven new meet records had been established.
D. V. C. de Soysa (of Galewela Central College) Under-16 Boys’ Discus Throw – 55.83m.
D. G. Lahiru Achintha (of Ratnapura Kumara Vidyalaya) Under-18 Boys’ 1,500m – 3:55.97 secs.
W. P. Nethula Induwara (Rahula College, Matara) Under-14 Boys’ 100m – 11.70 seconds
K. V. R. Gayesha (Ira Handa Kotuwa Wewa Maha Vidyalaya, Polonnaruwa) Under-16 Girls’ High Jump – 1.70m
H. M. D. S. Herath (Maris Stella College, Thimbirigaskatuwa) Under-20 Boys’ Long Jump – 7.65m
P. M. Amaya Semindi (Vijitha Central College, Dikwella) Under-14 Girls’ High Jump – 1.58m
Record 1,600 students take Russian Classical Ballet examination in Sri Lanka
Half a million people join protests in France, but some turn violent
Deadly fire breaks out at Canada military base
Showers or thundershowers will occur in most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m.
Buddhist hierarchy demands prison perks for monk convicts
Debate on NCM against Speaker postponed indefinitely
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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