IMPACT OF CORRUPTION ON THE HEALTH SECTOR
Reduces quality
2.1. Fake or sub-standard drugs
Ensuring the quality of drugs is a vital task for the health system. When regulations are undermined or circumvented by corruption, counterfeit or sub-standard drugs can negatively impact health outcomes. When this occurs, drugs can have a reduced or even detrimental effect. Studies show that large portions of available drugs around the world are counterfeit.
According to the WHO IMPACT, ”counterfeit medicines are deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and source: their quality is unpredictable as they may contain the wrong amount of active ingredients or no active ingredients” (2006). Counterfeit drugs are a problem in both developed and developing countries. In the US, up to 15% of all drugs sold are fake, while in some African countries the figure can amount to 50%. Globally, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believe approximately 10% of all drugs to be fake (Cockburn et al, 2005). Due to low reporting of discoveries of counterfeit drugs, it is difficult to provide accurate calculations of the health consequences of fake drugs. In the article ”The Global Threat of Counterfeit Drugs: Why Industry and Governments must communicate the dangers” (Cockburn et al, 2005) nonetheless provide several examples of how counterfeit drugs contribute it increased morbidity and poor health to those affected.
Counterfeit drugs - country examples (Cockburn et al, 2005)
Corruption in the health sector Source: Vian/Nordberg 2008: 18
A) In Nigeria 88 000 vaccines were provided by Pasteur Meriux and SmithKline Beechan - approximately 60 000 Nigerians were vaccinated with what was later discovered to be counterfeit, and contain to active ingredients
B) In African countries such as Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone - counterfeit paediatric anti-malarials were found on the market, branded GlaxoSmithKline
C) One third of the packets of the anti-malarial drug artesunate which were sold in South East Asia were found to be counterfeit, containing no active ingredients
D) In Brazil, a contraceptive pill were found to be containing wheat flour-information the company Schering kept private for 30 days before notifying the authorities