JAKARTA – There were 99 acute kidney injury (AKI) deaths registered across the archipelago involving children below six years old so far this year, Indonesia’s health ministry said.
The ministry has identified 206 cases of AKI from 20 provinces as of yesterday, with the death rate of patients treated in Jakarta reaching 65 per cent.
An investigation is currently ongoing in partnership with the food and drugs agency (BPOM), epidemiologists, pediatricians, pharmacologists, and police forensics to determine the cause.
The ministry has also urged health facilities and pharmacies to stop providing any syrup or liquid temporarily until its investigation is completed, Mohammad Syahril, a health ministry spokesperson, said in a statement.
Alternatively, the public could use other dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, and suppositories.
Last Saturday, the BPOM prohibited pharmaceutical companies from registering products containing diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG) amid rising cases of AKI.
On Oct 5, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that syrup-based medicines for children containing DEG and EG were among the causes of acute kidney failures in Gambia, West Africa.
“The four products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup, and Magrip N Cold Syrup.
“The stated manufacturer of these products is Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited (Haryana, India),” WHO said on an alert note.
However, officials at Indonesia’s food and drug agency said these products were not available locally. – Bernama
