Fifth of medicines in Africa may be sub-par or fake, research finds

The lack of reliable access to effective, appropriate antimicrobial products, such as antibiotics, is an ongoing issue in LMICs – especially sub-Saharan Africa.

The Guardian brings attention to this issue in a recent article, highlighting a systematic review that found that one-fifth of medicines in Africa could be substandard or fake.

Lack of access to essential antimicrobial products is a direct cause of preventable deaths from infections. Additionally, it is a major contributor to AMR, the ongoing global health issue that slowly renders antimicrobial products ineffective over time due to misuse or insufficient supply of antibiotics; this problem is being exacerbated by supplies of substandard or falsified medicines.

Speaking to the Guardian, Claudia explained that the complex pharmaceutical supply chains in LMICs make it easier for these products to infiltrate the market.

“Pharma supply chains in many LMICs are often complex, inefficient and fragmented… The region [sub-Saharan Africa] relies heavily on a limited number of suppliers for essential medicines, and many countries face significant challenges in procuring products in time and effectively policing the quality of products in the market.”

To help address this issue, Claudia highlighted that multiple parties, namely governments, national authorities, regulators and pharmaceutical companies manufacturing and selling the products, must work together. She explained that by enhancing infrastructure, improving logistics and implementing better surveillance-monitoring systems, supply chains can be strengthened across the continent.

“But there is also a lot that pharma companies can do by reporting any cases of substandard or falsified medical products to national health authorities and the WHO [World Health Organization] rapid alert system promptly and contributing to capacity building.”