Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Health

Indonesia says child deaths from acute kidney injury rise to 133

A cough medication is poured in this picture illustration taken October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Illustration

Indonesia's health minister said on Friday that the number of children who had died from acute kidney injury (AKI) rose to 133 from the previously reported 99.

The deaths were among a total of 241 cases in 22 provinces, Budi Gunadi Sadikin said, adding that most patients were children under the age of five.

Budi on Thursday said some medicinal syrups available in Indonesia contained ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, ingredients that have been linked to fatal AKI in children.

Indonesia has temporarily banned sales and prescription of all syrup-based medications and formed an expert team comprised of local health and paediatrics officials and World Health Organization (WHO) representatives to look into the AKI spike among children.

The country's food and drug agency has also named five locally-made products which contained excessive levels of ethylene glycol and has ordered the producers to pull them out of circulation and destroy all remaining batches.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.