Editorial: Keep counterfeit drugs out
What you need to know:
- Since malaria is widespread, fake malaria drugs offer racketeers abroad and their partners-in-crime in the country an avenue to make easy money potentially at the expense of the lives of innocent Tanzanians.
The Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) has warned of the presence in the market of a fake version of the widely used malaria drug, Duo-Cotecxin. This should be cause for grave concern, taking into account the fact that malaria is still a major killer in Tanzania.
Since malaria is widespread, fake malaria drugs offer racketeers abroad and their partners-in-crime in the country an avenue to make easy money potentially at the expense of the lives of innocent Tanzanians.
There are at least a dozen brands of malaria drugs dispensed in Tanzania. Duo-Cotecxin is just one of them. To what extent the other varieties may have been counterfeited and sneaked into the market is anybody’s guess. It is up to TFDA and other relevant authorities to protect Tanzanians from this particularly vile form of fraud.
TFDA should start by hunting down and eventually bringing to justice those behind the Duo-Cotecxin outrage. This should send a strong message to others involved in the counterfeiting of drugs.
There is also a need to strictly enforce regulations governing the importation and distribution of drugs. There is laxity in this area.
