Page 7 - World Health Organization

WHO issues alert over another India-made syrup, flags' substandard' quality

Deaths due to toxic cough syrups first made headlines in October when the WHO issued a global alert for four such medicines manufactured in India

WHO raises alert on 'contaminated' India-made cough syrup in Iraq

WHO referred to one batch of substandard or contaminated syrup - Cold Out (Paracetamol and Chlorpheniramine Maleate) - in Iraq which was reported to the WHO on July 10

CDSCO orders Riemann Labs to stop making cough syrup linked to deaths

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in coordination with State Drug Controllers of Madhya Pradesh has directed pharma firm Riemann Labs to halt manufacturing of its cough syrup that was linked to deaths of children in Cameroon. "In the case of Cameroon, a joint inspection was conducted by CDSCO, sub-zone Indore with SLA, Madhya Pradesh at M/s Riemann Labs, Indore and based on the findings the State Drugs Controller MP has directed the firm to stop the manufacturing activities," Minister of State (MoS) for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The World Health Organization (WHO) had on July 19 issued an alert regarding cough syrup supplied in Cameroon stating an analysis has found that the product contained "unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol as contaminants." The makers of Naturcold listed paracetamol, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and chlorpheniramine maleate as active ingredients, and a combination of these three i

India-made cold syrup sent to Iraq tainted with toxic chemicals, shows test

A bottle of Cold Out purchased at a pharmacy in Baghdad in March contains 2.1 per cent ethylene glycol, according to Valisure LLC, an independent US laboratory

WHO seeks help from India in latest toxic syrup-deaths case in Cameroon

The alert about Naturcold is the latest of several similar warnings issued in recent months about contaminated cough syrups sold worldwide

Undue influence? Anonymous donations to WHO's new foundation raise concerns

Nearly 40 per cent of the money raised by the WHO Foundation in its first two years came from anonymous sources, worrying some that donors may be trying to influence the World Health Organisation and its role in shaping global health policy with their gifts. The foundation, launched in 2020 to help raise private sector funds for the WHO, said it received USD 66 million in direct gifts through 2022, with USD 26 million coming from donors who chose not to be publicly named. Anil Soni, WHO Foundation CEO, told The Associated Press the foundation's board, which includes a representative from the WHO, knows the donors' identities and that the foundation will not accept a gift if there is a conflict of interest. They want to be anonymous because they're otherwise solicited or even targeted because they're seen to be a source of wealth, Soni said in an interview. And I respect that. The foundation, which is based in Switzerland, is not required to disclose its donors. Some global health

DCGI warns against use of pholcodine-containing cough syrups, cites risks

Regulator asks doctors to suggest an alternative to patients for treating their symptoms

Road accidents top cause for youth's, kids' death globally: Ficci-EY report

Road accidents claim around 1.5 million lives in India every year, contributing 11 per cent to the total number of such fatalities globally, according to a FICCI-EY report. Globally, at least one life is lost every 24 seconds due to road traffic injury, said the report released on Tuesday. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), road crash is the 8th leading cause of death with more than 1.3 billion deaths and 50 million serious injuries. It is the leading cause of death amongst youth and kids aged 5 to 29 years, it said. "1st rank in road fatalities is held by India (11 per cent share in the world). Every year India loses 1.5 million lives in road crashes...Every year we lose a number of people the size of the population of Estonia," the report titled 'Road Safety in India - Navigating through nuances' said. India is a signatory to Brasilia Declaration which aims to half the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030. The report was released by Tuk

WHO urges members to intensify efforts towards childhood immunisation

The World Health Organization on Tuesday called for intensified efforts towards childhood immunization with a focus on reaching the 2.3 million unvaccinated and 650,000 partially vaccinated children. The WHO's South-East Asia Region complimented member countries for scaling up childhood immunization coverage to pre-pandemic level. Every child deserves to be protected against life-threatening diseases with routine immunization, said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the regional director of WHO's South-East Asia region. "The momentum built with impressive efforts and immunization service recoveries must continue to benefit every child for a healthy and productive life," she said. The WHO and UNICEF estimates for national immunization coverage for 2022, released on Tuesday, show that in WHO's south-east Asia region the coverage rate for DPT3, third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines reached 91 per cent of the pre-pandemic level, a sharp increase from 82 per cent recorded in

Poisoned cough syrup traced to India reveals lapses in regulation

From cough syrup to eyedrops to life-saving medications, quality lapses in one country can now endanger lives elsewhere as never before

Govt to set its own standards on artificial sweeteners: FSSAI advisor

The IARC report is expected to come out on July 14, a development that could have a far-reaching impact on the consumption of low-sugar beverages and foods

FSSAI to study WHO report on possibility of Aspartame being a carcinogen

As a 'healthier' substitute for sugar, aspartame is widely used in India by manufacturers of soft drinks, breakfast cereals, ice cream, and juices

Intermittent fasting helps protect the brain from diseases like Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is an increasingly urgent global issue. The World Health Organization predicts that the number of people with the condition will triple by 2050

Aspartame: What is this sweetener that may be 'possibly carcinogenic'

The WHO is reportedly going to make a decision on the artificial sweetener, that is used in more than 6,000 food and drinks including Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, in July

WHO's cancer agency identifies aspartame sweetener as possible carcinogen

JECFA, the WHO committee on additives, is also reviewing aspartame use this year

WHO investigating more syrups, drug samples; list of alerts may expand

The WHO director-general issued a call to action in January to implore all member states to increase their surveillance and testing efforts because people are 'needlessly being put at risk'

WHO prepares for increased spread of viral disease linked to El Nino

The WHO chief also warned that climate change is fueling the breeding of mosquitoes, and incidence of dengue has already risen sharply in recent decades, particularly in the Americas

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International Albinism Awareness Day 2023: Theme, History and Importance

The theme for International Albinism Awareness Day 2023 builds on the call for albinism-affected individuals to have their voices heard in all spheres of society last year

400k diarrhoeal deaths can be averted if Jal Jeevan mission meet target

Almost 4 lakh diarrhoeal disease deaths can be averted if Jal Jeevan Mission' meets its target of providing clean water to all rural households, according to a new study by the World Health Organisation. The government launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in 2019, a nationwide programme that aims to provide all houses in rural areas with safe and adequate drinking water through individual tap connections by next year. The World Health Organization (WHO) was requested by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to conduct a study to assess potential health gains and associated cost savings due to increased access in safely-managed drinking water services in India. The study found that, on an estimate, if the Jal Jeevan Mission provided safely-managed drinking water to all of India, this would result in averting almost 4 lakh deaths caused by diarrhoeal disease. According to official figures, till now 62 per cent rural households have been provided with tap water connection. "