The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global safety alert regarding three Indian-made cough syrups found to contain dangerously high levels of a toxic chemical, diethylene glycol.
The syrups, manufactured for children aged 1 to 5 years, are produced by three Indian pharmaceutical companies — Coldrif by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Respifresh TR by Rednex Pharmaceuticals, and Relief by Shape Pharma.
According to the WHO, laboratory tests revealed that these syrups contain diethylene glycol levels up to 500 times higher than the permissible limit.
Although the chemical is used in trace amounts in the production of cough syrups, excessive quantities can be highly poisonous and potentially fatal, especially for children.
The alert follows a tragic incident in August, when 17 children in India died after consuming Coldrif syrup manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals. This is not the first such case — in 2023, similar incidents involving Indian-made syrups caused the deaths of 141 children in Uzbekistan, Cameroon, and The Gambia.
Officials from India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) said they are aware of the WHO alert and will take it seriously. The agency pledged to strengthen quality control measures and ensure stricter oversight of pharmaceutical manufacturing standards.
The WHO has urged all countries to remove these products from circulation immediately and warned parents and health professionals to avoid using the affected brands until further notice.
