Synopsis: The WHO issued a Medical Product Alert for three substandard Indian cough syrups—Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and ReLife—containing toxic Diethylene Glycol, linked to 23 child deaths. The CDSCO halted production, recalled products, and confirmed no exports. WHO urges global surveillance, warning of severe health risks, including kidney failure, and advises against using these medicines.

The World Health Organization has issued a formal Medical Product Alert concerning three substandard cough syrups manufactured in India that have been linked to at least 23 child deaths, marking an escalation of a crisis that has exposed catastrophic failures in India’s pharmaceutical regulatory system.

The alert, released after India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) reported to

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