Researchers from Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia have revealed that a fifth of medicines in Africa could be substandard or fake. In their study, the researchers reviewed 27 analyses and found that out of 7,508 samples, 1,639 failed quality tests. Claudia Martínez from the Access to Medicine Foundation called the findings a major public health concern, warning that substandard or fake medicines can lead to treatment failures and preventable deaths. Estimates from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime suggest up to 500,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa due to such medicines. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotics and antimalarials are the most falsified of these medicines, potentially leading to antimicrobial resistance in patients. To combat the issue, Martinez advocates for immediate action from governments, regulators, and pharmaceutical companies to improve infrastructure, logistics, and surveillance.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
Study Reveals that One in Five African Medicines Are Fake or Ineffective
