According to news agency PTI, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has asked Indian authorities to clarify whether the cough syrup that was responsible for the deaths of at least 22 children in the nation was exported to other countries.

The action was taken in response to rising concerns over the quality and safety of Coldrif cough syrup, which has been found to include harmful ingredients like ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG).

Following an official response from Indian authorities, WHO will determine whether to issue a Global Medical Products Alert. The organisation sends out these notifications to inform nations about tainted or inferior medications.

Officials said that after drinking the syrup, 22 children in Madhya Pradesh have died, and five others are critically ill with kidney illnesses. At least three more fatalities have been reported from various Rajasthani areas.

"As part of the standard procedure, the World Health Organisation requested clarification on Wednesday regarding whether the cough syrup that was connected to children's deaths in India was exported to other nations," sources told PTI.

In response, all state and Union Territory drug controllers were instructed by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Wednesday to improve quality checks on pharmaceutical items and raw materials prior to their release onto the market.

The DCGI pointed out significant shortcomings in recent inspections in an advisory dated October 7, pointing out that numerous manufacturers were failing to test each batch of excipients and active components for compliance with established standards prior to use.

Manufacturers are not evaluating every batch of excipients and active pharmaceutical components before utilising them in formulations and final products, according to the recommendation, which was found during inspections and investigations of medications deemed "Not of Standard Quality."

State and UT drug controllers have been requested to make sure that inspections are closely monitored, to raise awareness among manufacturers through circulars, and to confirm that businesses have strong vendor qualification methods and only purchase raw ingredients from reputable, authorised suppliers.

The deaths in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh that were purportedly caused by tainted cough syrups have rekindled national worries about pharmaceutical quality control.

India has already been questioned over the safety of cough syrup. The Centre mandated in 2023 that pharmaceutical producers put a warning on labels and package inserts that the fixed-dose combination of phenylephrine HCl IP 5mg per millilitre and chlorpheniramine maleate IP 2mg "should not be used in children below four years of age."