Indonesia says 74 children have died from acute kidney injury this year

More than 70 children in Indonesia have died from acute kidney injury (AKI) since January this year, a health minry official said on Wednesday, as a team of experts investigates the spike in cases.
The development comes as health officials in Gambia said nearly 70 children had died from AKI after taking a locally sold paracetamol syrup used to treat fever.

Excessive levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol were found in four cough syrup products made New Delhi-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, that were sold in Gambia.
Officials at Indonesia’s food and drug agency said the product was not available in the Southeast Asian nation, but have since banned the use of the ingredients in all medicinal syrups for children.
Health minry official Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the minry had identified 189 cases of AKI among Indonesian children, most aged under five years old, with 74 fatalities recorded since January.
“No cause (has been identified) yet, we’re still looking for it,” Siti told Reuters.
Health authorities said last week that an expert team had been formed to investigate the spike in cases of AKI among children and would be comprised of representatives from the health minry, the Indonesian paediatric association and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The health minry has said it is talking to experts from the WHO that are investigating the cases in Gambia.
In a health minry letter dated Oct. 18, which was seen Reuters, the minry requested that hospitals collect all medicines that families had given their children so toxicology tests could be conducted.
In the same letter, the minry said chems should temporarily halt the sale of syrup-based medicine until further notice.
The health minry is expected to provide further details later on Wednesday.