New Delhi, July 24 -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) today raised serious concern over the presence of dangerous industrial chemicals in some medicines, especially those meant for children.
In a new report, the WHO warned that toxic substances like diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG) are being illegally used in place of safe ingredients, putting lives at risk which it described as a "tragic and ongoing public health crisis".
In its report "Contaminated medicines and integrity of the pharmaceutical excipients supply chain", prepared in collaboration with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) the WHO said that DEG and EG are used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents "but can cause severe health issues a...