Counterfeit malaria medication is estimated to be directly attributable to the deaths of up to 158 000 Africans every year.
According to the latest stats from the Journal of Vector Borne Diseases, the antimalarial market in some African countries comprises 88.4% fake drugs. The trade in illegal medicine is driven by vendors looking to profit from the low cost of these imitations.
It is clear that urgent action is required to address this crisis.
Government leaders in Africa would be well-advised to take a pan-African approach to the counterfeit pandemic by creating an environment in which knock-off medication becomes increasingly unprofitable for sellers, in order to stifle the illicit trade.
The need for stricter import controls and regulations will remain a critical undertaking in this regard, as such measures would curb the volume of foreign-produced fake medication entering an African country.
Of course, smugglers will continue to find other ways to illegally import their goods, but the more difficult the process, the less attractive the goods become for the vendors. With tighter import controls to tackle the threat from beyond their borders, local African governments and regulatory agencies should be empowered in their abilities to audit and monitor the market from within.
Labs created or upgraded to perform quality control tests (overseeing the quality and authenticity of drugs) will restrict the opportunities available to counterfeiters who need to work at a scale large enough to remain profitable.
Combining these labs’ efforts with a sophisticated and mature regulatory body that has the capacity to continuously audit and is capable of taking a data-driven response through the surveillance of trends in medication consumption should also allow for a more proactive approach.
Finally, the most direct way for Africans to be more assured that the capsules they are swallowing are safe, is to be assured of the source.
Policymakers and investors in Africa would be wise to look to shoring up local supplies of critical drugs by producing these medications locally instead.
* Michael Mynhardt, Co-Founder & CEO at MMH & Partners.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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