Following Al Jazeera feature by Hamza Mohamed|on the impact of fake medicines in Somalia, local communities are stepping up the fight against these dangerous products.
Starting 07 July, Radio Dalsan, a community radio channel based in Mogadishu, Somalia, has begun live programming on fake medicines, sharing vital information to help the public stay safe.
Fight the Fakes congratulates Radio Dalsan on its efforts and looks forward to updates! Visit their website here.
Except from Al Jazeera feature on fake medicines in Somalia, story of Nuurto Hassan Mursal:
©Al Jazeera
Mursal, a mother of 10, was handicapped by taking what she thought was medication to treat her severe migraine. She looked visibly sick as she sat in her crumbling two-bedroom house made of brick walls and a tin roof.
The medication had killed off all sensation in her feet and had covered her body with round white blisters that later turned to patches the size of golf balls.
But she was too traumatised to make another trip to any of the city’s hospitals.
“I can’t feel anything. I wouldn’t know if I walked on fire,” Mursal said. “It is like my feet are not part of my body,” she said pinching her feet to emphasise her point.
After her experience, hospitals and pharmacies are the last place she visits if she feels unwell. She prefers prayer to medication in seeking relief from an illness.
