Context

Falsified medicines are manufactured and sold by criminal individuals and organizations by exploiting weak national legislation and enforcement.
Widespread infectious diseases coupled with pervasive poverty make the developing countries on the African continent particularly vulnerable to harm from falsified medicines, which are now estimated to constitute around 30 percent of all medicines sold in Africa.
Reports of counterfeit pharmaceuticals in Eastern and Central Africa indicate a wide variety of detrimental effects on public health, revenues to firms, lost taxes to governments, foreign investment, which consequently leads to loss of jobs and economic opportunities. This type of crime is extremely profitable for criminal groups, even more so than drug trafficking, and the sanctions and penalties are less severe.

Objectives

Achieving enhanced awareness and understanding of the risks of falsified medicines and develop measures for safety and security from falsified medicines in the region, taking the country-specific baseline situation into account.