The price of hydroxychloroquine skyrockets in sub sahara African countries amid COVID 19.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, there have been claims that hydroxychloroquine can help in preventing and treatment the deadly virus, and since it’s been a valuable object that is trafficked.
Chloroquine is well known in Africa and was one of the most widely prescribed anti-malaria drugs until the 1980s.
But it is no longer authorised on the continent by the WHO.
However, attempts are made to produce the drug locally, highlighting the flaws of the drug market in West Africa.
In Nigeria, chloroquine in a 250 mg dosage can be sold, and prices have soared in the last four months.
A packet of 60 tablets has gone from $8 to $194 in pharmacies.
The price of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine has skyrocketed in Nigeria, according to the government's consumer protection body. https://t.co/eojYyinXnk
— The African Heralds (@AfricanHeralds) August 6, 2020
Despite the legal battle on illicit drugs in the sub-region, the traffic is on the increase.
In Cameroon, a network of counterfeit chloroquine manufacturers were arrested in Bafoussam in March 2020.
Several were recently seized in Niger, Mali and Côte d'Ivoire.
- Expanding Africa’s vaccine production capacity key – Noguchi Director
- Dengue fever epidemic declared in Burkina Faso
- Frontiers earned over $87m while government got under $7m from COVID testing at KIA – Report
- I donated PPE worth over $1 million during COVID-19 pandemic – Ken Agyapong
- Ablakwa releases ‘inaccessible details’ of contract awarded to Frontiers for COVID test at the airport
- Read all related articles