Fake Drugs Killing Over 100,000 Africans Annually
By Sharon Atieno
African countries bear the biggest brunt of fake medicines, accounting for nearly three in 10 medicines circulating the market. As a result, more than 100,000 Africans are losing their lives, a new report reveals.
According to the white paper titled “Securing the Medicine Distribution Network in Africa,” majority of these medicines include antimalarials, antibiotics, painkillers (particularly opioids), HIV antiretrovirals and genitourinary medicines. Anti-inflammatories and blood-derived products are also affected.
A 2023 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report on trafficking in medical products in the Sahel found that between 72,000 and 169,000 children die each year from pneumonia treated with subpar or fake antibiotics.
Worse still, of the one million annual deaths caused by malaria, 200,000 could be avoided if patients were treated with genuine medicines, according to a 2018 Le Figaro report.
The white paper published by CFAO, a major pharmaceutical distributor in Africa, and the OPALS Foundation, underscores factors that fuel the illegal pharmaceutical market on the continent. These include: limited access to affordable medicines, supply chain gaps, and the unchecked rise of street markets where unverified drugs are sold.
“This tragedy demands a general mobilization, both at the national and international levels, of all health professionals, the judiciary, law enforcement and customs, a mobilization supported by a strong and enduring political will. Only then can the medicine distribution networks be secured, control capacities strengthened, and awareness about the dangers of fake medicines raised effectively. Pharmaceutical wholesalers, as key players in the medicine supply chain, have a major role to play,” said Prof. Marc Gentilini, President OPALS Foundation.
Speaking during the launch of the white paper, Ken Accajou, Deputy CEO of CFAO Healthcare and Head of English and Portuguese-speaking Area Retail, said, “The medicine distribution crisis in Africa is not just a supply chain issue but a matter of life and death…this white paper is a call to action: we must strengthen official channels and empower local health systems to better protect their people.”
According to Accajou, educating the public on the dangers of fake medicines is necessary. Awareness campaigns should start at a young age, in schools, to create a generational ripple effect. Mass media should be used as primary channels to inform the public about medicines and fake drugs, while social media should be used to reach the youth.
He also notes the need to ensure access to quality medicines at fair and affordable prices, underscoring that high medicine costs are the primary reason people turn to street markets and illegal vendors.
Additionally, strengthening and harmonizing African legislation to impose stricter penalties and recognizing fake medicine trafficking as a serious crime to deter traffickers. Using legal instruments such as the Medicrime Convention (Council of Europe) and the UNODC’s Legislative Guide, would enable better international cooperation, particularly for cross-border coordination between law enforcement, customs authorities and health regulators to reduce the circulation of fake medicines.
The white paper also recommends expanding access to healthcare and essential medicines through solidarity-based collective financing and enhancing the training of pharmacists and future pharmacists.
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