About 100,000 deaths a year in Africa are linked to the counterfeit drug trade, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This is indeed alarming a call for collective efforts to stem the surge of fake drugs in the country.
It doesn’t only pose a threat to governments, but even local consumers, who continue to put their lives in danger using these fake medications.
According to the World Health Organization, sham drugs are the world’s most lucrative counterfeit goods, with a global market worth roughly $200bn, and Africa accounts for around 42% of the world’s cases.
In their unrelenting crusade against counterfeit and substandard medical drugs in the country, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) alongside its stakeholders yesterday led a mass disposal exercise of a large quantity of seized medical and expired products illegally imported or found within illegal premises.
These medical drugs were part of a large quantity of sub-standard and falsified medicines seized during a series of nationwide operations, targeting illegally imported medical products and those found in illegal premises.
This exercise is not only crucial but ‘timely’ in view of the rapid surge in the proliferation of sub-standard and illegal counterfeit drugs in circulation in Africa’s urban markets.
Counterfeit drugs are a deadly, and growing, problem. Statistics indicated that as many as one in ten medical products circulating in developing countries are substandard or falsified. This in a nutshell deprives our people, especially the sick, the right to undergo proper medical treatment not to talk about the cost.
Suffice it to state here that most of these fake drugs easily find their way through our porous borders. To this end, there is a need for stricter border surveillance and to report any nefarious act to the authorities.
To ensure the safety of people there is no one man show. We all owe it to the women and children of this nation to help expose any clandestine dealing.
Let’s remember that the proliferation of fake, falsified and substandard drugs has had tragic consequences and counterfeiting is more than a criminal act. To this end, we call on the agency and authorities to take legal measures against anyone found wanting. Until then, the issue of fake and counterfeit drugs will continue to be a problem in the country for years to come.
We therefore commend the MCA, Ministry and all stakeholders for their unrelenting stance against importation of sub-standard or falsified medical products in the country.
Let’s be careful that the disadvantages or dangers with regard to fake drugs far outweigh its advantages. Life is precious and let’s be careful with the type of drugs we consume.