Open problems · Consumer protection
Medicines that poisoned children
Indian-made cough syrups were linked to child deaths abroad in 2022 and 2023. In 2025, a contaminated syrup killed at least 22 children in Madhya Pradesh.
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What we know
The World Health Organization issued alerts over Indian-made syrups linked to child deaths in Gambia (2022) and Uzbekistan (2023). In 2025, Coldrif cough syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol, an industrial solvent, was linked to the deaths of at least 22 children in Madhya Pradesh. India's drug regulator found the chemical in three syrups, and the WHO issued a global alert in October 2025.
Open questions
- How many drug samples were tested in your state last year, and how many failed?
- How many drug inspectors does your state have, against the number of factories and shops?
- What happened to the companies named in earlier alerts?
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