Industry Facts

Following the investigations into the substandard cough syrups sold in the Gambia, Uzbekistan and Indonesia, here are some key health facts and statistics about these countries.

1. As of 2019, the leading cause of death globally was ischaemic heart disease. Since then, this has remained the leading cause in lower-middle-, upper-middle- and high-income countries, however in low-income countries this drops to third with neonatal conditions being the leading cause of death.1
2. In 2019, the child mortality rate (probability of 5-14 year-olds dying per 1,000 children) was 10.33 in the Gambia, 3.76 in Uzbekistan and 5.14 in Indonesia, compared to 0.77 in the UK.2
3. In 2017 the leading causes of child deaths (from birth to the age of four) in the Gambia were acute lower respiratory infections (728.6 deaths) and prematurity (657.7 deaths); in Uzbekistan the leading causes were prematurity (2,793 deaths) and congenital anomalies (2,498 deaths); and in Indonesia they were prematurity (23,090 deaths) and acute lower respiratory infections (19,672 deaths).3
4. In 2020, the number of maternal deaths in the Gambia was 398.7; 7,826 in Uzbekistan; and 251.1 in Indonesia, compared to 66.83 in the UK.4
5. Finally, in 2019 the still birth rate per 1,000 births in the Gambia was 21.86, 6.55 in Uzbekistan and 9.46 in Indonesia, compared to 3.04 in the UK.5