Central Africa: 251 tons of medical products seized, new report calls for strengthened international cooperation
For information only – not an official document
BRUSSELS/VIENNA, 6 October (UN Information Service) – Trafficking in medical products poses a major threat to public health, economic development and security in Central Africa, with more than 251 tons of medical products seized between 2020 and 2025 in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), according to a new report published today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CEMAC Commission.
The medical products seized across the region cover a wide range of therapeutic categories, including antibiotics, antimalarials and psychoactive substances such as tramadol and pregabalin. The report highlights the risks associated with the circulation of falsified and substandard medical products, which expose patients to treatment failure, poisoning and preventable deaths. For instance, twelve children died in Cameroon in 2023 after ingesting a pediatric syrup made with contaminated excipients.
“Medical product trafficking is more than a public health issue. Criminal groups profit by exploiting the region’s health vulnerabilities,” said Sylvie Bertrand, Regional Representative of the UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa. “The report outlines a multimodal trafficking system that uses maritime, riverine, air and road routes and involves a broad range of actors. No State can tackle this transnational challenge alone. UNODC remains committed to helping Member States advance a coordinated regional response.”
This illicit trade fuels a criminal economy that deprives States of tax revenues and fosters corruption, obstruction of justice and violence. Medical products may constitute a strategic reloot health facilities for their own use, resale or the collection of taxes on shipments transiting areas under their control, thereby contributing to the financing of conflicts and undermining the rule of law
Trafficking in medical products encompasses various illicit activities, including the diversion of products from legitimate supply chains, their distribution by unauthorized actors, and their illicit importation. Most medical products diverted from licit supply channels originate in the principal exporting countries supplying Central Africa, particularly in Asia and Europe. Falsified medical products are also manufactured in clandestine laboratories located in CEMAC countries and neighboring States.
Regional stakeholders are taking action to respond to these challenges. In 2013, CEMAC Member States adopted a Common Pharmaceutical Policy to strengthen and harmonize pharmaceutical regulation across the subregion. In 2019, the African Union established the African Medicines Agency to improve access to quality, safe and effective medical products.
“Trafficking in medical products poses a serious threat to people across our economic community, and efforts to combat it must be fully integrated into responses to the multiple challenges facing our subregion,” said Ngabo Seli Mbogo, Commissioner responsible for the Common Market Department of the CEMAC Commission. “CEMAC is developing a regional action plan to implement the report’s recommendations and intends to adopt a strategy against transnational organized crime.”
The report recommends that public authorities adopt an integrated approach combining public health, criminal justice, and international cooperation, rather than addressing these dimensions separately.
“The circulation of substandard and falsified medical products remains a major concern for WHO, as it endangers public health and undermines confidence in health systems,” said Rutendo Kuwana, Team Lead, Health Product Market Surveillance and Control, World Health Organization. “WHO remains fully committed to supporting countries in strengthening surveillance systems and better protecting patients.”
This project received financial support from the European Union.
For further information, please contact:
Sonya Yee
Chief, UNODC Advocacy Section
Mobile: (+43-699) 1459-4990
Email: unodc-press[at]un.org
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