Gambia has launched an urgent door-to-door campaign to remove cough and cold syrups blamed for the deaths of more than 60 children from kidney injury in the tiny West African country.
The UN’s World Health Organisation has issued an alarm in response to the deaths, saying it had been working with Gambia’s government to investigate the cause of the cases and deaths since August.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Gambia's director of health services, Dr Mustapha Bittaye, confirmed the wave of child deaths from acute kidney injury that sent shockwaves across the country of 2.4 million people and around the world.
“WHO has issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines identified in The Gambia that have been potentially linked to acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
“The loss of young lives is beyond heart-breaking for their families.”
The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India, the WHO said.
While the contaminated products have so far been detected only in Gambia, they may have been distributed to other countries, WHO said. The UN health agency said it is pursuing investigations with the company and regulatory authorities in India.
“WHO recommends all countries detect and remove these products from circulation to prevent further harm to patients,” it said.
Teaming up with the Gambia Red Cross Society, the Ministry of Health has dispatched hundreds of young people to collect the suspect syrups through a house-to-house campaign.
Gambia’s Medical Research Council also issued an alarm.
“Over the last week, we admitted a child with this condition [acute kidney injury] … and she has unfortunately died. We were able to confirm that she had taken one of the drugs that is suspected to be causing this, prior to her arrival at our clinic. It had been bought at a pharmacy within The Gambia,” the council said.
“The drug has been identified as containing a significant amount of a toxin that damages kidneys irreversibly.”
In India, the federal regulator and the state regulator of northern Haryana state are conducting an inquiry into the contaminated medicines.
Of the 23 samples tested, four had so far been found to be contaminated and India is waiting for the analysis to be shared with it, said an Indian health official.
Phone calls to the headquarters of Maiden Pharmaceuticals went unanswered. Neither India’s health ministry nor the federal regulator responded to queries from Associated Press.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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