IFPMA and the Global Fund collaborate to help protect patients from fake medicines

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have announced a broad-based partnership to help prevent patients from being harmed by fake medicines.

While people in low- and middle-income countries are often at greater risk than those in high-income countries, fake medicines are a global problem. Fake medicines are reported in virtually every region of the world. In high-income countries, incidence of fake medicines is less than 1% of market value according to the estimates of the countries concerned. Figures about sales of fake medicines rise to 10% globally, but in some areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America fake medicines may account for up to 30% of medicines in circulation. In Africa, one-third of all malaria medicines are probably fake. It is estimated that one in two medicines purchased on illegal Internet sites that hide their physical addresses is fake.

“We are at an historic moment. Effective treatments and technologies exist for HIV, TB and malaria and our challenge at the Global Fund is to get those effective interventions to all patients that need them. Fake medicines compromise our mission to save lives. We are delighted to join forces with IFPMA and invite other partners to join our efforts to get effective, safe, genuine treatments to the people who need them,” said Mark Dybul, executive director of the Global Fund.