Recent Western media reports blaming China for the flood of counterfeit malaria drugs sent to Africa have once again highlighted a major health problem on the continent.

Malaria remains the main cause of death for children under five in Sub-Saharan Africa, and costs the continent an estimated $12 billion in lost productivity each year. Counterfeit anti-malaria medicines are contributing to deaths across the world and also leading to drug resistance – putting billions of people at risk. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) study, an estimated one third of the drugs used worldwide to combat malaria are substandard. This is a critical problem, particularly serious in Africa, where Tanzania and Uganda have the highest number of malaria cases in the world.

Charys Nuhu Ugullum, acting chief of Tanzania's food and drug authority, told China's Global Times that, although Tanzania strictly supervises and inspects malaria drugs, fake drugs still make up 20 percent of the market share, and most of them come from counterfeit producers in Africa, or are imported from other continents by illegal dealers.

Chinese drugs enter the African market either through national foreign aid programs, or via foreign trade. Drugs that qualify for public procurement must be certified by WHO, and need to adhere to strict supervision and examination procedures followed by both exporters and importers. Mohamed Ali, chief of the Tanzania Malaria Control Program, told the Global Times that in the public sector, the only ways Chinese-made malaria drugs can get into the country are through public procurement by the WHO and the Tanzanian Government. In the private sector, local dealers import the drugs from companies certified by the country's food and drugs authority.

Su Li, VP of Guilin Pharmaceutical Co., says the drug market in Africa has long been cornered by foreign companies due to its high admission threshold. She believes that low-cost, high-quality medicine supplied by Chinese manufacturers has helped to alleviate the shortage of affordable drugs in Africa. With such high stakes involved, Chinese companies are now seen as challenging the market dominance of other foreign companies.

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying last month refuted claims that Chinese producers are responsible for counterfeit drugs, saying China attaches great importance to drug safety, adding that the country's management of exported drugs is consistent with international practices.

Ultimately, to ensure that counterfeit drugs do not find their way to Africa, policy makers must realize that the situation needs urgent attention. Establishing a supervised supply chain from manufacturers to end users is essential to ensuring that drugs are of guaranteed quality, as is coming down hard on those caught making or importing substandard drugs. Where malaria does proliferate in Africa, technology, although expensive, needs to be used to filter out substandard drugs, and governments must only endorse and buy drugs recommended by WHO. With thousands of lives at stake, it is time to take action, or preventable deaths will hang heavily on the consciences of those who ignore the facts.

THE EDITOR