The death of nearly 100 children in Indonesia has prompted the country to stop selling all syrups and liquid medicines, the BBC reports. It comes a week after cough syrup in the Gambia was linked to the deaths of nearly 70 children.
The country’s authorities have announced that some syrup medicines have been found to contain ingredients linked to acute kidney injury (AKI), which has killed 99 young children this year.
It is unclear whether the drugs are imported or locally produced.
Indonesian authorities have not yet disclosed the brands or types of syrups linked to sick children. Instead, they simply temporarily banned the sale and prescription of all syrups and liquid medications.
The WHO found that syrups produced by an Indian pharmaceutical company contained “unacceptable amounts” of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol. These syrups are “potentially associated with acute kidney injury,” the organization said.