Boss of Indonesia cough syrup maker jailed after child deaths

The boss and three other officials of an Indonesian firm whose cough syrup was linked to the deaths of over 200 children have been sentenced to jail.

Two-year prison sentences were given to the individuals involved, along with a fine of 1 billion Indonesian rupiah ($63,029; £51,7130). This decision resulted from accusations against the company, Afi Farma, for manufacturing cough syrups that contained excessive amounts of toxic substances.

The legal representative of the company mentioned that they denied any negligence and were contemplating whether to appeal the verdict.

The prosecution had initially sought seven to nine years in prison for the chief executive of Afi Farma, Prasetya Harahap, and seven years each for the other defendants.

According to the prosecution, between October 2021 and February 2022, the company received two batches of propylene glycol, an ingredient used in making cough syrup. However, these batches contained a significantly higher percentage of ethylene glycol, ranging from 96% to 99%. While propylene glycol is generally safe and extensively used in medicines, cosmetics, and food, ethylene glycol is toxic and commonly used in products like paint, pens, and brake fluid.

The prosecution highlighted that the company failed to conduct tests on the ingredients used in the cough syrup, instead relying solely on quality and safety certifications from its supplier.

Afi Farma's lawyer, Samsul Hidayat, informed the BBC that Indonesia's drug regulatory measures did not mandate rigorous testing of ingredients for drug manufacturers.

The judge at the Kediri District Court in East Java found the four defendants guilty of intentionally producing pharmaceutical products that did not meet safety standards.

This incident occurred during a period of increasing global efforts to tighten the supervision of drug supply chains following several poisoning cases. Since 2022, over 200 Indonesian children, mostly under the age of five, have succumbed to acute kidney injury associated with contaminated cough syrup. Similarly, about 100 deaths have been reported in The Gambia and Uzbekistan.

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued warnings regarding six cough syrups manufactured in India and Indonesia.

This information includes additional reporting by Jerome Wirawan in Jakarta, Indonesia.