Liberia: ‘Counterfeit Medicines Cause More Deaths’.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Chairperson of the Authority of Head of States and Government of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), has said that counterfeit drugs continue to pose a serious risk to public health in the sub-region.

 

The President said the proliferation of these sub-standard medicines, which are falsely labeled, is a major cause of mortality and the loss of public confidence in medicines and in health structures.

 

She said despite the close cooperation among drug companies, governments and international organizations on trade, health, customs and excise on counterfeiting, the prevalence of counterfeit drugs appears to be rising.

 

The President made the statement on Monday, April 10, at a resort in Monrovia during the official opening of the meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Social Welfare, Trade, Customs, and the free movement of the ECOWAS Parliament.

 

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