Fifth of medicines in Africa may be sub-par or fake, research finds
GuardianJUL 2024
Study: 20% of Medicines in Africa Either Substandard or Fake
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The Spin
Narrative A
This study raises the alarm over a public health crisis that could be contributing to the deaths of countless patients in low- and middle-income countries. Besides increasing public awareness, stakeholders must strengthen supply chains and improve logistical issues to prevent, detect, and respond to substandard and falsified medicines.
Narrative B
While the study's findings are worrying, Africa isn’t manufacturing subpar or counterfeit medicines. Countries outside of the continent, such as China and India, are the producers and suppliers of fake medicines. This is a global public health crisis, and putting the emphasis only on African stakeholders to fix this problem is unfair.