Warning over fake malaria drugs in Africa

Counterfeit anti-malaria drugs are being distributed throughout Africa to the extent that the lives of millions of people could be endangered. A report from the Wellcome Trust has revealed that low quality derivations of reputable anti-malarial drugs are being distributed throughout he African continent. The drugs are of such poor quality that there is an additional risk that some of the circulating drugs could actually encourage malarial drug reissuance. Pharma International News notes that other types of drugs could have side-effects for the person who takes them. Media and Guardian, a pan-African news agency, states that the Wellcome Report, based on the work of the Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford University Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, was published in the Malaria Journal, and is the result of nine-years of study and analysis. The report concludes that “criminals are producing diverse harmful anti-malarial counterfeits with important public health consequences.” The report, written by Dr Paul Newton, has shown that a number of the fake drugs either had the wrong ingredients or the wrong proportions. Most malaria drugs contain a substance called artemisinin (derived from a plant that originates in China, commonly known as sweet wormwood.) The drugs had traces of artemisinin in them: enough to pass a routine anti-counterfeit test but not enough of the active ingredient to be medically effective. The BBC reports that most of the fake tablets originated in China (which has come from an analysis of the drugs which contain a pollen unique to certain parts of Asia). In addtion, some production facilities for packaging materials for counterfeit antimalarials have recenlty been seized in Nigeria. As The Journal recounts, Malaria is a parasite which is spread by mosquitoes can causes around 800,000 deaths per year. Africa is particularly affected by malaria, where the infant mortality rate is high from the disease. More about this story will no doubt emerge over the next few weeks. As it stands, it is a significant international scandal in relation to fake medicines. The problem is not just confined to Africa, a few days ago the Digital Journal noted that the U.S. FDA was taking renewed measures to protect Americans from fake drugs being imported. article:318062:14::0

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