Quartz Africa: There’s an opioid abuse problem unfolding in African cities and it’s not getting the attention it needs
“…Africa remains one of the regions least served with effective pain relief medicine and although Tramadol is not the strongest of analgesics, it is a darling on prescription lists. That’s because unlike other opioids such as methadone and fentanyl, Tramadol is not internationally regulated, hence it is cheap and readily available for patients. … [I]n the last decade, the continent has seen a significant rise in the non-medical use of Tramadol, which produces similar effects to the ‘high’ caused by heroin. … Some African governments are slowly starting to pay attention…” (Asiedu, 3/16).