Unlocking Africa The Trade That Kills Silently: Falsified Medicines and Pharmaceutical Crime in Africa with Foulo Basse
Episode 214 with Foulo Basse, President and Chief Executive of The Brazzaville Foundation, an organisation leading Africa’s battle against falsified medicines, counterfeit drugs, and pharmaceutical crime across the continent.
Fake and substandard medicines are one of the most urgent yet under reported public health crises in Africa. From ineffective antibiotics and compromised malaria treatments to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, falsified medicines are costing lives, undermining trust in health systems, and fuelling organised criminal networks that exploit regulatory gaps and weak border controls.
In this episode, Foulo Basse explains why rising seizures of counterfeit medicines across African countries may reveal the scale of the problem rather than signal victory. He explores how illicit pharmaceutical trade routes operate across borders, why counterfeit drugs in Africa are increasingly linked to transnational organised crime, and how affordability gaps and weak distribution systems allow illegal markets to thrive.
We also examine the policy and legal response. Foulo discusses the importance of the Lomé Initiative, the push for African states to ratify the Medicrime Convention, and the need to criminalise falsified medicines with meaningful enforcement and institutional capacity.
What We Discuss With Foulo
- The true scale of the falsified medicines crisis in Africa and why enforcement statistics may only scratch the surface.
- Why counterfeit medicines should be treated as organised crime and a national security threat, not only a health issue.
- How weak pharmaceutical supply chains, high drug prices, and limited access to generics create conditions for illegal drug markets.
- The role of the Lomé Initiative and the Medicrime Convention in strengthening legislation and criminalising pharmaceutical trafficking.
- What African governments, regulators, and international partners must prioritise to secure medicine supply chains and protect public health.
Did you miss my previous episode where I discuss Building Sustainable Manufacturing in Africa: Bamboo, Sanitation and Circular Supply Chains? Make sure to check it out!
Connect with Terser:
LinkedIn - Terser Adamu
Instagram - unlockingafrica
Twitter (X) - @TerserAdamu
Connect with Foulo:
Website - www.brazzavillefoundation.org
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