Abstract:
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The circulation of poor-quality medicines continues to undermine
the fight against many life-threatening diseases. Anti-malarial
medicines appear to have been particularly compromised and
present a major public health threat in malaria-endemic
countries, negatively affecting individuals and their
communities. Concerted collaborative efforts are required from
global, regional and national organizations, involving the
public and private sectors, to address the problem. While many
initiatives are underway, a number of unmet needs deserve urgent
and increased multisector attention. At the global level, there
is a need for an international public health legal framework or
treaty on poor-quality medicines, with statutes suitable for
integration into national laws. In addition, increased
international efforts are required to strengthen the governance
of global supply chains and enhance cooperation between national
medicine regulation authorities and law enforcement bodies.
Increased investment is needed in innovative technologies that
will enable healthcare teams to detect poor-quality medicines at
all levels of the supply chain. At the regional level, a number
of initiatives would be beneficial-key areas are
standardization, simplification, and reciprocal recognition of
registration processes and development of quality control
capacity in regional centres of excellence that are better
aligned with public health needs; improved surveillance methods
and creation of a framework for compulsory and transparent
reporting of poor-quality medicines; additional support for
national medicine regulation authorities and other national
partner authorities; and an increase in support for regional
laboratories to boost their capabilities in detecting
poor-quality medicines. It is vital that all stakeholders
involved in efforts against poor-quality anti-malarial medicines
extend and strengthen their actions in these critical areas and
thus effectively support global health development and malaria
elimination programmes. |