WHO ACCELERATES FIGHT AGAINST COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 15 2006

The World Health Organization (WHO) and more than 20 international
partners are today launching a comprehensive package of measures
to help national authorities safeguard their populations from the
dangers of counterfeit medicines.

At the opening of the first official meeting of IMPACT (the
International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce) in Bonn,
WHO and its partners are unveiling a programme covering legislation,
law enforcement, regulation, technology and communication. IMPACT is
also issuing a warning against buying medicines from rogue web sites
as well as cautioning governments that existing laws against medical
counterfeiters are inadequate and do not act as deterrents.

Counterfeit medicines range from products containing no active
ingredients to those containing highly toxic substances. They can
harm patients by failing to treat serious conditions, can provoke
drug resistance and in some cases kill.

The latest estimates jointly elaborated by WHO, the OECD, and the
Pharmaceutical Security Institute show that more than 30% of medicines
in some areas of Latin America, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
are counterfeit. In emerging economies, the proportion is estimated
at 10% but in many of the former Soviet republics it can be as high
as 20%. In wealthy countries, with strong regulatory mechanisms,
counterfeits account for less than 1% of the market value, but 50%
of illegal Internet sales are counterfeit.

By the end of 2007 IMPACT aims to have all 193 WHO Member States
formally collaborating to stem global and national counterfeiting of
medical products.