South Africa Issue Article- Deceptive Drugs

Cassie Kennedy

Ms. Bennett

World Lit Honors 2

March 2016

Deceptive Drugs

A man goes to the local drug store to pick up some cough syrup for his cold. He notices that the syrup does nothing to help his cough, if anything, it’s gotten worse. He shakes it off like it’s not a problem, he’ll get better eventually. However, he starts to notice similar things happening around him; the couple down the street is now expecting a baby, even though they’ve been using contraceptives. The boy that lives next to market is suffering from asthma, and his parents don’t understand why his inhaler won’t help him. His boss has been out for weeks because of malaria, and he’s not going to live, because the medication is making things worse. All these scenarios have one thing in common: the drugs are counterfeit.

Found all over Eastern Africa, fake drugs can range anywhere from Advil to HIV/AIDS treatments. Counterfeit medication is a chronic problem that has affected the African population for years, and is linked to around 100,000 deaths each year (Counterfeit Drugs Raise Africa’s Temperature). Those who are most affected and vulnerable lie in some of the poorest areas of the continent. People cannot not afford the costly prescription drugs sold by certified pharmacists, so they turn to cheaper medication that can be sold locally. About ⅓ of all drugs can be counterfeit, making the chances of a faulty medication more likely than not (Yeebo). The people have begun to lose faith in the health care system, and have reverted back their “old ways”, consulting herbalists whose remedies have no real benefits (McLaughlin).

Counterfeit drugs are nearly impossible to recognize by the naked eye. However, there is a solution to this issue, just one that is not being taken seriously. In 2007, Bright Simons, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, began a small, nonprofit startup called MPedigree. The company focuses on authenticating drug packaging. Each prescription is given a 12 digit code that is put into a database. The consumer then sends in the code before use, and if there is any complications or copycats, the customer is warned that the medication may be counterfeit. The manufacturers can then use the data they receive to track down the counterfeiters. (Yeebo) The problem is, very few people are willing to take a non-profit organization seriously, especially with the financial struggles Africa is facing as a whole.

Simons is working hard to expand his company for the good of the people. Now, in Nigeria, his twelve digit codes are required on all medications sold in the country, and it’s saved lives. MPedigree is working on pairing with manufacturing companies to ensure the authenticity of drugs. Even though efforts are put forth to address the issue of counterfeit drugs, it is still an issue that continues to affect thousands of people each year.

Annotated Bibliography

"Counterfeit Drugs Raise Africa's Temperature | Africa Renewal Online." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2016. Address to the general population, this article’ main purpose is to raise awareness for the current issue that is happening in Africa. This article discusses the presence of counterfeit drugs in Africa. The author addresses the weak regulations and drug licensing, high drug prices, and finally, how to protect medication. The author included a slight bias towards the idea of federal punishment, him/her believes that counterfeiters should face stronger punishment, rather than being fined only $500. Otherwise, the article is written with a fairly informational tone throughout, as well as provides many credible facts and statistics.

"Making the Case against Counterfeit Drugs." IRIN. 04 Feb. 2010. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. This article includes information about a meeting that was “aimed at reinforcing public and private efforts against fake drugs.” Medical professionals believe that the country needs a “front” to address the people’s resistance health warnings and how to prevent counterfeiters from expanding. The author maintains a consistent, informational tone throughout his article, refraining from any bias. Whatever opinion may be stated in the article would be a quote taken from people most affected by the current issue.

McLaughlin, Kathleen E. "Counterfeit Medicine from Asia Threatens Lives in Africa." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 23 Dec. 2012. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. This article discusses the increasing presence of fake medications being sold throughout Africa, and what could be done to counteract it. There is a slight bias in the author’s somewhat pessimistic tone, especially when using phrases such as “efforts to combat the activity are in their infancy” which suggests the problem is much bigger than any solution that has been addressed.

McLaughlin, Kathleen E. "Fake Drugs Flood East African Markets." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. This article was written to raise awareness of the current issue present in Africa. While the author maintains a consistent, informational tone throughout the article, she has a very personal way of writing. The author includes interviews and many touching quotes from the affected population.

Mensah, Joseph. “The Global Financial Crisis and Access to Health Care in Africa”. Africa Today 60.3 (2014): 35–54. Web. 07 Mar. 2016. This article addresses the causes behind the current problem. The author includes many statistics and credible facts. Joseph’s article is slightly bias, yet mostly informational. He talks about the financial struggles of Africa and how it affects the healthcare system. The article speaks of the financial handling of Africa’s money in a pessimistic way.

Yeebo, Yepoka. "The African Startup Using Phones to Spot Counterfeit Drugs." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 31 July 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2016. This article is written for informational purposes. The author uses statistics and data to prove his ideas. The article addresses the topic of what is being done to fix the current problem, and to raise awareness for the current possible solution. A small non profit company has come up with a solution that categorizes legitimate medication in a database, is assigned a specific coding, and the consumer must compare the coding with the manufacturer to insure they are taking non-counterfeit drugs.