The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday that several contaminated syrups and suspension medicines have been identified in WHO regions, including the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific. These products, manufactured by Pharmix Laboratories in Pakistan, were first detected in the Maldives.
The affected medicines, which are liquid formulations containing active ingredients for treating various conditions, were found to have unacceptable levels of the contaminant ethylene glycol, according to the WHO. The organization emphasized that no adverse events related to the use of these syrups have been reported.
This alert follows previous warnings from the WHO about similarly contaminated medicines produced in India and Indonesia, which were associated with the deaths of approximately 300 children worldwide last year.
It is crucial for health authorities and regulators to take prompt action to address such cases and ensure the safety of pharmaceutical products in the market. Contaminated medicines pose serious risks to public health, and international collaboration and vigilance are essential to prevent and address such incidents.
Pakistan Reports 9,284 New HIV Cases, Prompting Heightened Awareness
Meanwhile, in the first 11 months of the current year, 9,284 individuals in Pakistan tested positive for HIV, with an estimated annual infection rate of around 30,000, officials disclosed on Friday.
Despite a global decrease in HIV infections, Pakistan stands out as one of the countries where new cases are consistently rising, particularly in Punjab, declared the most-affected province, where approximately 52 percent of individuals are HIV positive.
During a ceremony in Islamabad marking World AIDS Day 2023, Iftikhar Shallwani, Federal Secretary of Health, emphasized the need for HIV prevention units in the most affected districts, including cities like Larkana, Kasur, Sargodha, and Lahore.
Shallwani acknowledged the country’s struggle to control HIV and urged collaborative efforts to address it, drawing parallels with the successful management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ceremony, organized by the Ministry of National Health Services in collaboration with the Common Management Unit and UN partners, brought together infectious diseases experts, public health professionals, and international health agencies.
Federal Health Secretary Shallwani stressed the deployment of frontline workers to identify HIV-positive individuals and prevent new infections, likening the challenge to the fight against polio.
