West Africa: The sale of counterfeit medicines is taking a frightening toll

A new ECOWAS report published in August 2023 highlights the alarming growth in the trade in counterfeit medicines in West Africa.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around one in 10 medical products sold in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified, and almost 50% of these counterfeits originate in Africa. Trafficking in counterfeit medicines in West Africa generates around one billion US dollars in revenue, exceeding the combined value of crude oil and cocaine trafficking.

The report indicates that illicit medical products currently account for between 20% and 60% of the official market in the region, reaching as high as 80% in countries such as Guinea and Burkina Faso. This poses a serious risk to public health in the region.

The lack of adequate regulation in these countries makes them particularly vulnerable to corruption. State authorities and medical workers have sometimes been complicit, facilitating the distribution of counterfeit products to distributors and retailers.

In terms of the supply chain, the authors describe situations where illicit importers in Burkina Faso and Guinea place direct orders with legal (and illegal) laboratories in India, asking them to produce quantities of medicines with reduced dosages of the active ingredient to reduce costs. Other players such as official distributors, pharmacists, private depot sellers, corrupt state officials and health professionals are also involved in the counterfeit drug distribution network.

In summary, Burkina Faso and Guinea play a central role in the trafficking of counterfeit medicines in West Africa, due to corruption, instability and the involvement of criminal organisations. Weak regulatory frameworks and the complicity of various players contribute to the spread of this serious public health problem.

Firnela AFIA