Children's medicines must be safe

A publication urging that children medicines be monitored to ensure they are safe has been released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO are hoping that Promoting Safety of Medicines for Children will offer solutions to how various bodies, including governments and regulatory authorities can coordinate their efforts with regards to the effects of medicines on children.

According to WHO, side effects from antiretroviral medicines for HIV have been reported in 30 per cent of children taking the drugs. These can often be reversed by changing the medicine or adjusting the dose.

"We need to learn more about the way children's bodies react to medicines so we can improve global child health," said Dr Howard Zucker, WHO assistant director general for health technology and pharmaceuticals.

"That's why it's extremely important to keep track of potential side effects in child populations. Ultimately, this will save lives and build up a knowledge base for the future."