WHO Raises Alarm Over Fake Drugs On Children

The World Health Organisation(WHO) has made an urgent call  to countries to prevent, detect and respond to incidents of substandard and falsified medical products on children.
Over the past four months, it said many countries have reported of several incidents of over-the-counter cough syrups for children with confirmed or suspected contamination with high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG).
It said,”The cases are from at least seven countries, associated with more than 300 fatalities in three of these countries. Most are young children under the age of five. These contaminants are toxic chemicals used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents that can be fatal even taken in small amounts, and should never be found in medicines.”
Based on country reports, the world apex health body issued three global medical alerts addressing these incidents.
WHO’s medical product alerts were rapidly. disseminated to the national health authorities of all 194 WHO Member States.
These medical product alerts requested,  the detection and removal of contaminated medicines from circulation in the markets, increased surveillance and diligence within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected,  immediate notification to WHO if these substandard products are discovered in-country.
It called on various key stakeholders engaged in the medical supply chain to take immediate and coordinated action.
Calling on regulators and governments to detect and remove from circulation in their respective markets any substandard medical products, WHO urged  that all medical products in the respective markets are those approved for sale by competent authorities and obtainable from authorised/licensed suppliers.
It urged the appropriate authorities to improve and increase risk-based inspections of manufacturing sites within their jurisdiction in accordance with international norms and standards.
Further stressing increased need for market surveillance including risk-based targeted testing for medical products released in their respective markets including informal markets;it emphasised the need to enact and enforce, where relevant and as appropriate, laws and other relevant legal measures to help combat the manufacture, distribution and/or use of substandard and falsified medicines.