00:00Central African countries are facing a growing public health threat from the trafficking of medicines.
00:06The United Nations says the illegal trade is being driven by the gap between healthcare needs and access to safe,
00:13affordable drugs.
00:14The six countries in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, or CEMAC, are already battling high rates of tuberculosis,
00:22malaria and HIV.
00:23But safe medicines are often unavailable or too expensive, creating what a new report by the United Nations Office on
00:30Drug and Crime.
00:31The World Health Organization and CEMAC call an illicit market for medical products.
00:37Traffickers divert prescription drugs from regulated supply chains and national health programs.
00:43They also sell medicines that are counterfeit, substandard or not officially approved.
00:49The drugs include antibiotics, antimalarials, painkillers, anti-inflammatories and psychoactive substances such as tramadol and pregabalin.
00:59The report says at least 251 tons of medicines were seized between 2020 and 2025.
