Project Syndicate: The Real Consequences of Fake Medicines
David Richmond, chief executive of the Brazzaville Foundation

“…Fortunately, seven African countries — The Gambia, Ghana, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda — are set to take action to address the scourge of fake medicine. This month, the Brazzaville Foundation … will bring together the heads of these states in Lomé, Togo, to sign a political declaration and a legally binding agreement committing them to introduce legislation to this end. … The Lomé Initiative represents an historic opportunity to step up the fight against the trade in substandard and fake medicines. But to subdue this deadly business, … more of the continent’s leaders must join the fight. And the international community must support them. … To minimize the risks that fake medicines pose to us all, the world must offer its support” (1/15).