Coronavirus: WHO warns of proliferation of falsified drugs

A seizure of fake medicines in Phnom Penh in March 2019 (illustration image). TANG CHHIN Sothy / AFP

Text by: Christine Siebert

The World Health Organization warns of falsified medicines circulating in several African countries. These are various chloroquines, this malaria drug currently being tested to establish whether it is effective in the treatment of Covid-19. Nine falsified products have been reported in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Niger.

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They are called Samquine, Niruquine or Chloroquine Phosphate and the boxes and bottles that contain them look more real than life. But in reality these products are falsified. Some were not produced by the manufacturer whose names appear on the labels. Or the manufacturer listed on the box simply does not exist. Most importantly, they do not contain the right amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient.

It is through a " global system of surveillance and monitoring of substandard and falsified medical products " that WHO is able to issue these alerts. And it is hospitals, dispensaries, health centers, wholesalers, distributors and pharmacies that help update the alerts on fake medicines, through their analyzes and reports.

List and photos on the WHO website

The World Health Organization publishes the photos and the detailed list of these falsified medicines on its website and asks patients in possession of these products not to use them, and if it is already done, to contact a health professional. Finally, it is important, stresses the WHO, that the incident be well reported to the public authorities.

This is already the fourth alert that the WHO has issued in 2020 on fake medicines. The latest, released in late March, covers " an increasing number of falsified medical products that claim to prevent, detect, treat or cure Covid-19 ". The other two relate to rapid HIV tests and falsified antimalarials.

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