E-DRUG: counterfeit ARVs in DRC (3)
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According to WHO (Fact Sheet N. 275, November 2003, on Substandard and
counterfeited medicines), "counterfeiting of medicines is a hugely
lucrative business, due to high demand and low production costs". "High
demand" is often due to lack of access, which may push the patients to seek
essential and especially life-saving medicines outside the normal supply
system. Again according to WHO, "poverty is one of the major factors in the
production and consumption of substandard products".
Therefore, we think that CBOs working in a well regulated framework could
play a key role in helping to scale up access to ARV therapy, both by
contributing to make it available to those who cannot access it today,
and by raising at the same time awareness at community level about the
risks of unofficial distribution channels and black market.
C�cile Mac�
Raffaella Ravinetto
M�decins Sans Fronti�res
Raffaella.RAVINETTO@barcelona.msf.org
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