TY - JOUR AU - Ambroise-Thomas, Pierre PY - 2012/05/04 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - THE TRAGEDY CAUSED BY FAKE ANTIMALARIAL DRUGS JF - Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases JA - Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis VL - 4 IS - 1 SE - Editorials and Comments DO - 10.4084/mjhid.2012.027 UR - https://www.mjhid.org/mjhid/article/view/2012.027 SP - e2012027 AB - <p>Counterfeit antimalarials (mainly artemisinin derivatives) is a crucial health problem in developing countries, particularly in Africa. The illegal production, sale and distribution of fake drugs is a huge market evaluated to several billion of dollars and represents more than 50% of the pharmaceutical market in several African countries. Fake drugs have led to a very great number of deaths from untreated malaria or fatality provoked by toxic ingredients. These fake medicines increase the risk of artemisinin resistance developed by the use of sub therapeutic dosages of antimalarials. Tackling this criminal traffic is the objective of an international  programme created by WHO  and involves the international police and custom organizations like INTERPOL. Several very important and encouraging results have been obtained, but the problem will be completely solved if genuine antimalarials, free-of-charge, are handed-over to populations in sub Sahara African countries.</p><p> </p><p> </p> ER -