Indonesia child deaths blamed on syrups rise to 133
The Hindu
“We have identified 241 cases of acute kidney injury in 22 provinces.”
The number of child deaths from acute kidney injuries in Indonesia has risen to 133, the health minister said Friday, attributing the fatalities to harmful substances found in medicinal syrups.
Indonesia saw a spike in acute kidney injury (AKI) cases this year, prompting a probe and ban on all syrup and liquid medicine prescriptions and sales.
"We have identified 241 cases of acute kidney injury in 22 provinces, with 133 fatalities," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a press conference.
Mr. Budi said authorities found traces of harmful substances in children being treated for AKI.
“Seven out of 11 children had that harmful substance: ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol butyl ether.”
"It is confirmed that (AKI) was caused by (those) substances."
The World Health Organization said this month that it found an "unacceptable amount" of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol in four Indian-made cough syrups that were linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children in The Gambia due to AKI.
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