Tackling Inadequate Pharmaceutical Services in Africa: Options for Public Health Action.
The present document aims to present challenges and opportunities to support pharmaceutical industry in Africa. The proliferation of fake medicines in the continent is a major public health problem, with a global market worth roughly US $200 billion and sub-Saharan Africa accounts for around 42% of the world’s cases (21% for north African and the middle East). We will first discuss the challenges for the continent in the fight against counterfeit medicines and finally the challenges and opportunities to support pharmaceutical industry in Africa.
Counterfeit medicines pose a huge threat to global public health and has become increasingly apparent over the last decade. In 2006, the Declaration of Rome was the first to acknowledge the
issue of counterfeit drugs and the importance of effective coordination and cooperation at the international level for regional and national strategies to be more effective. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), 30% of all medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa are counterfeit as opposed to 1% in the developed world, suggesting a link between impoverished regions and their inability to restrict counterfeit medicines. Indeed, the region is home to the 15 poorest countries in the world according to the human development index.
Distribution of high-quality medicationsis consistently one of the largest challenges for drug makers. Inefficient or expensive distribution increases the final price to patient, reducing volume sales and hurting family finances in the largely out-of-pocket private market for medicines. Business environment: Investment versus Risk. To attract investors, the business environment must be conducive. In other words, the risks must be minimal.
Public Health Open J. 2020; 5(1): 17-19. doi: 10.17140/PHOJ-5-141
