African Healthcare Providers Struggle with Counterfeit Drugs

The obstacles in the way of providing quality healthcare to many Africans are numerous. The cost of such care, the difficulty of spreading medical information and the challenge of providing care in remote areas are just some of the problems plaguing Africa. But one of the most important matters that healthcare providers in Africa face is stopping the use of counterfeit drugs.

Indeed, the use of counterfeit drugs is a serious problem in Africa, with a survey conducted by U.S. Pharmacopeia estimating that 44 percent of anti-malarial medicines in Senegal did not pass quality tests, according to AllAfrica.com.

Julian Harris, a Research Fellow at the London-based International Policy Network, conducted a survey of health clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and found that such places are struggling to provide quality healthcare.

"Such clinics, both public and private are in unenviable position of having to source affordable medicines while avoiding the sea of sub-standard and counterfeit offerings,” she told the news source.

The World Health Organization estimates that counterfeit drugs make up about 10 percent of the global pharmaceutical market, reports the news provider.