Study Finds Fifth of Medicines in Africa May Be Fake
Study Finds Fifth of Medicines in Africa May Be Fake
The Facts
A recent study in Africa, found that nearly 20% of medications on the continent may be substandard or fake.
Researchers from Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia reviewed 27 studies, and found that out of 7,508 medicine samples, 1,639 failed quality tests, which indicates that the medications were substandard or falsified.
The Spin
While the findings of this study are worrying, people should avoid from making sweeping generalizations based on this alone. There are some possible biases in the research methods including non-random sampling and unpublished surveys that found no issues, as well as a lack of studies in general about substandard medication apart from Asia and Africa. Additionally, the prevalence of false and subpar medication fluctuates across time, countries, and type of medication.
Urgent action needs to be taken to combat the issue of subpar and falsified medicines in Africa. A plethora of factors lead to the prevalence of these harmful medications across the continent, and hundreds of thousands of people have died and continue to die as a result. These incorrect medications lead to ineffective and preventable deaths. The time to act is now.
