For the first time in 10 years, WHO is publishing two reports on substandard and falsified medical products. The first details the impact of falsified medicines in low- and middle-income countries and a second report highlights the potential financial and public health impact caused by falsified medicines:
- Study on the public health and socioeconomic impact of substandard and falsified medical products, which examines estimates of the prevalence and cost of the issue
- WHO Global surveillance and monitoring system for substandard and falsified medical products, which highlights the causes, consequences and solutions
On this occasion, WHO hosted an event at the Graduate Institute in Geneva on 29 November 2017. The event was opened by WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with a speech available here. It was followed by a panel discussion featuring the following speakers:
- Moderator: Suerie Moon, MPA, PhD is Director of Research at the Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
- Keynote speaker: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
- WHO Dr. Mariângela Batista Galvão Simão, Assistant Director-General for Drug Access, Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals
- Dr. Suzanne Hill, WHO, Director of Essential Medicines and Health Products Department
- Ms. Lou Valdez, US FDA
- Dr. P. Lukito, Indonesia FDA
Fight the Fakes and partners IFPMA, ICN, RBM and MMV attended the event and raised awareness of the campaign and the fight against fake medicines.
To find out more, check out the Fight the Fakes press release welcoming the WHO reports here. Read also the WHO press release here.
