Africa is the only continent where counterfeit medicines cause more deaths than non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and respiratory diseases. Every year, more than 100,000 Africans lose their lives as they fall prey to counterfeit anti-malarials. The onus lies in the hands of logistical service providers, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory bodies to fight illegal supply chains of spurious drugs.
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but when it comes to spurious pharmaceuticals, it is far from flattery and could pose a serious threat to life. Counterfeiting medicines is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries. Recent studies suggest that one in 10 drugs around the world is counterfeit, and this statistic can reach seven in 10 in developing countries.
As for Africa, it is the only continent where counterfeit medicines cause more deaths than non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and respiratory diseases. Every year, more than 100,000 African children under the age of five lose their lives as they fall prey to counterfeit anti-malarials.
One of the major challenge associated with a fake drug is that a layman cannot differentiate between genuine and counterfeit drug without the help of a special instrument or device. The packaging, shape and size of counterfeit drugs are made identical to that of an authentic drug by the counterfeiters. However, these fake drugs might not contain any active ingredients at all; they might contain the correct ingredients but at the wrong dose; or they could contain highly toxic ingredients. While ingesting a fake aspirin without any active ingredient most likely won’t have any major negative health effects, counterfeit medicines used to treat patients with life-threatening conditions like HIV/AIDS and malaria have devastating consequences.
The demand for counterfeit drugs is highest in impoverished, underdeveloped countries where a majority of the populace cannot afford or obtain medicines from legal sources. Weak, inconsistent laws and regulations, combined with a lack of visibility in the supply chain, allow illicit distributors to introduce counterfeit medicines, which often end up being sold in pharmacies or administered in hospitals
Denne historien er fra January-February 2017-utgaven av Logistics Update Africa.
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Denne historien er fra January-February 2017-utgaven av Logistics Update Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Mauritius - A Future Hub For East & South Africa
Air Mauritius turned 50 in 2017, and is going strong in the troubled African aviation sector. As 2019 records a memorable year for the flag carrier of Mauritius, from adding new fleet to hosting the 51st AFRAA AGA, the airline is in a bid to position the country as a hub for Asia- Africa trade, Shalini Nair reports.
History Is Playing It Differently For Africa
Drones are the future of African e-commerce, but not in the near future. E-commerce players want necessary regulations and economically viable technology ready, Libin Chacko Kurian reports.
Spring In The Step For Africa's E-Logistics Startups
A steady flow of big-ticket investments is ensuring the wave of digitisation in Africa is more than a passing one. Logistics startups riding high on the back of technological support are building solutions to identify and bridge gaps in the supply chain. The challenges for these startups go beyond mere lack of infrastructure, and the inflow of capital is making sure their eyes are on the goal of making logistics accessible, Blessy Chettiar reports.
Fedex Picks Or Tambo Airport For Its Maiden Cargo Flight In Africa
Setting its goal to boost air cargo volumes, OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg has welcomed FedEx to operate its dedicated cargo flight B777 weekly.
Closer Collaboration Better Infrastructure Smarter Technology - A Must For A Sustainable Future
Sustainability and need for collaboration dominated the narrative of the latest editions of the Flower & Perishable Logistics Africa conferences in Nairobi, Kenya. Speakers and attendees deliberated on importance of infrastructure development, exploring new markets, and looking beyond the traditional avenues.
African Air Cargo Market Bucks Global Trend
Ongoing trade tensions between the US and China has taken a toll on global air cargo growth, but the only sector that has seen a silver lining during these troubled times is the perishable or special cargo space. It is no surprise then that the African air cargo market, which accounts for a majority of perishables exports, has been bucking the trend. The continent is also on the cusp of a digital transformation and is making major strides in infrastructural growth and liberalisation, which is set to take the African air freight sector to greater heights, Surya Kannoth reports.
Top Global Megatrends Driving Sustainable Logistics
The logistics industry world over is going through rapid transformation that we have seen never before. Crystal Lassiter writes on top five global megatrends driving sustainable logistics.
Time Is Ripe For APIs In Logistics Supply Chain
Adopting technologies like APIs has become crucial for supply chain management stakeholders to be able to offer quick quotes, compare rates, make bookings, track and deliver value to their customers, Blessy Chettiar reports.
The Future Looks Bright, Exciting, Digital And Sustainable
Our world is constantly undergoing change. Take a look around – technology is transforming the way we live, do business, transact and interact. Just like any other industry, the logistics space is also facing a new era of unprecedented change as digitalisation and customer expectations evolve simultaneously. From connected warehouses to autonomous last-mile delivery services, new technologies are enabling efficiency optimisations and new operating models. And while the push towards digitalisation continues, what remains equally critical is the need to remain sustainable. By understanding how sustainability in logistics measures impact production and benefit companies, shippers and logistics players can work towards a better, sustainable tomorrow.
Bringing Artificial Intelligence Into The Supply Chain Who And How?
Zuzanna Kosowska-Stamirowska writes how data acquisition and algorithm design need to be defined - or redefined - for the existing market players to make the AI revolution work.
