Central Africa: When Streets Become Pharmacies - Booming Illicit Markets in Central Africa
[UN News] Antibiotics, malaria treatments, painkillers, opioids. More than 250 tonnes of medical products were seized over six years in Central Africa. Behind those numbers is an illicit market that thrives not simply despite the region's fragile health systems, but in part because of them.
In Central Africa over the past six years, over 250 tonnes of illicit medical products were seized, despite the region's fragile health systems. A new report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals that the illicit market thrives partly because of these weaknesses. The illicit trade extends beyond falsified drugs to include genuine medicines diverted from legitimate supply chains and drugs smuggled across borders.
Annual seizures rose from about five tonnes in 2020 to nearly 116 tonnes in 2024, with Cameroon accounting for nearly all of the seizures in 2025. The products intercepted include antibiotics, antimalarial and anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, and psychoactive substances like tramadol and pregabalin. The report highlights a complex trafficking system using maritime, riverine, air, and road routes, involving various actors, including armed groups who loot health facilities or collect taxes from crossing convoys.
The consequences of consuming illicit medicines can be dire, leading to poisoning, treatment failure, death, and contributing to antimicrobial resistance. The report emphasizes the need for harmonized laws, strengthened controls, and improved cross-border cooperation, while also advocating for expanding access to safe and affordable medicines, as the illicit market responds to a demand the formal health system has failed to meet.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
