How governments can stop aggravating plague of fake drugs
The outbreak of swine flu has reminded us of the constant availablility of fake drugs, writes Julian Harris. Yet rather than asking "what can government do?", we should examine how government exacerbates the problem.
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What's wrong in the Mekong?
As evidence continues to emerge of drug resistance to anti-malarial therapies around the Thai-Cambodian border, Julian Harris and Roger Bate offer a reminder of the likely culprits--counterfeit and substandard drugs.
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South-East Asia 'must clamp down on fake drugs'
A report on counterfeit drugs in south east Asia quoted Julian Harris of the Campaign for Fighting Diseases. He noted that "very high tax and tariffs" deter high quality drugs, leaving "counterfeiting to fill in the gaps."
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Vested interests in deadly medicines
After further political wrangling at the WHO's Eexecutive Board meeting in January, Bright Simons argues that the issue of counterfeit drugs should not be clouded by cheap geopolitics.
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Set healthcare free
Following the release Oxfam's anti-private sector polemic "Blind Optimism", Philip Stevens notes the significant advantages to private sector healthcare delivery--particularly for the rural poor.
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EU false insecticide fears pose real threat to Africa
Jasson Urbach of Africa Fighting Malaria explains why pesticides are crucial in the fight against the disease - a fight soon to be thwarted by the EU's misguided legislation.
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EU pesticide ban threatens millions around the world
As the European Union introduces sweeping new controls over the use of pesticides, Richard Tren of Africa Fighting Malaria examines the health consequences for many of the world's poor.
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Insecticide or suffering?
The European Union should take a history lesson before endangering people in Africa and Asia with its anti-pesticides legislation, argues Gilbert Ross.
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Fake drugs and failed governance
As the WHO meets in Geneva to attempt consensus on a new definition of "counterfeit drugs", Philip Stevens and Julian Harris argue that the problem is largely caused by bad government, corruption and poor institutions.
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Lancet: Dozens of nations inflated vaccine numbers
IPN's Philip Stevens comments to the Associated Press on the news that dozens of developing countries exaggerated figures on how many children were vaccinated against diseases.
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On World AIDS Day, some experts suggest AIDS is hogging world attention and budgets
A growing number of experts believe that the current dominance of AIDS is undermining the fight against other equally pressing diseases.
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Resistance to ARVS rising among patients
In their rush to achieve universal access to ARVs, agencies such as WHO and the Global Fund have failed to adhere to the highest standards of patient care. This could prove very costly in the years ahead.
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Making Sense of the Health Care "Brain Drain"
South Africa’s chronic shortage of skilled health care professionals continues unabated and the situation worsens by the day. Why, then, does the Department of Health limit the number of foreign health professionals entering SA?
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The EU's nasty bite
The European Union’s proposed pesticides regulations are an unexploded bomb under global anti-malaria efforts.
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'Made in China' proving bad for health
Recent food and drug scandals in China show that the some of country's manufacturers have a serious problem with quality. Improvements will only come if government control is removed from the press and legal system.
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Great Idea, Bad Scheme
The Global Fund's new attempt to bring affordable medicines to malaria victims seems wonderful in theory—but there are better ways to spend this money, and author Roger Bate has concerns about the programme spreading substandard drugs.
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É o Estado o melhor provedor de saúde?
Embora seja geralmente aceito quo o melhor caminho para garantir a prosperidade econômica é permitira operação de mercados livres, presume-se que o provsionamento da saúde seja importante demais para deixaraos caprichos do mercado.
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Maior acesso passa por liberalização econômica
Organizador do livro O Combate às Doenças da Pobreza, o economista Philip Stevens esteve ontem em Porto Alegre para o lançamento da obra traduzida para o português. Em uma rápida entrevista ao Jornal do Comércio, o inglês defendeu a liberalização da economia como forma de ampliar o acesso aos medicamentos importados.
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Regulating drug prices is a recipe for disaster
Price caps on drugs--based on the 'benchmarking' of other price caps--deter companies supplying new drugs and discourage R&D. This is the argument from Brett J. Skinner, writing as the South African government introduces its potentially harmful price regulations.
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Good move on bad drugs: the Ranbaxy scandal
Following his paper on drug quality, Roger Bate analyses the FDA investigations into Indian drug company Ranbaxy. While the FDA is looking out for American consumers’ interest, Bate stresses that similar protection must be granted to impoverished people, particularly in Africa.
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Killing with kindness
As "world leaders" congratulate themselves over $3 billion pledged to the re-branded Global Malaria Action Plan, two authors question whether this really is the most effective means of relieving Africa from the disease.
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The WHO blueprint for increasing global poverty
The WHO's report on the "social determinants of health" claims that inequality is responsible for huge numbers of deaths worldwide. But by rejecting economic growth, its recommendations would do far more harm than good.
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Environment and health: keep it real
Ministers gathering in Libreville for the first African ministerial on environment and health should avoid getting distracted by ill-defined and nebulous problems like "climate change" and focus on the real environment alkillers: dirty water and fuel.
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Away with Political Correctness
Professor James Chin argues that instead of spending billions of dollars "preventing" a general pandemic that is never going to happen, efforts should be focussed on helping the people at most risk from HIV / AIDS.
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‘Romantic’ Aids cause diverts needed funds
Professor Karol Sikora, advisor to the British government and World Health Organization, explains how the politicisation of diseases such as AIDS distorts funding and harms the poor.
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It’s time to dismantle UNAids
Roger England explains why he is a candidate to be the new Executive Director of UNAIDS, calling for the constructive dismantling of the organisation.
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Trusting the African private sector with aid
Ahead of the G8 summit in Hokkaido, the usual merry-go-round is in process consisting of calls for greater aid, grandiose speaches, reports of failings, then further calls for even more aid. Fortunately the growing involvement of private sector organisations is providing hope for more efficient and effective health outcomes.
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Conceptualizing approaches to trading in health
The benefits of trade have for too long been driven away from healthcare by ring-fenced nationalised systems and vested interests. Now evidence suggests that trade can slow the rise in healthcare costs and be a valuable source of revenue for developing countries.
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How surveys twist rankings on health care
Proponents of nationalised healthcare systems frequently refer to the WHO ranking the US system a lowly 37th in the world. Yet how reliable are these rankings? Glen Whitman reveals their faults and underlying, ideological bias.
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Threat of world Aids pandemic among heterosexuals is over, report admits
Following Professor Jim Chin's exposure of the myths disseminated by UNAIDS, the World Health Organization has admitted that there is no threat of a global heterosexual pandemic.
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Getting The Message: Good news on treatment. Bad news on propaganda.
Ahead of the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico, UNAIDS is accused of the misdirection of funds and failing to match policies with correct epidemiological data.
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UN’s Russian roulette for poor patients
Sub-standard AIDS and malaria drugs can cause parasite resistance and clinical failure. Yet the Global Fund has been procuring such drugs for millions of low-income patients.
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SA should avoid Britain’s public health mistakes
The South African government is hoping to create a 'universal' health system by imposing increasingly onerous regulations on the private sector. Evidence from Britain's health system shows this is doomed to failure.
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Myths behind AIDS might lead to billions in misspending
UNAIDS has systematically perpetuated myths about the nature and scope of the AIDS pandemic. As a result, many billions of dollars have been wasted on prevention programmes that have no basis in science.
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Malaria: poor drugs for poor people
New field research shows that a third of anti-malaria drugs collected in six African cities fail at least one quality test, and aid agencies continue to fund untested, substandard drugs. The World Health Organization suggests that one-fifth of the approximately one million children who die every year from malaria die because of substandard and poorly prescribed medicines. This is poor medicine for poor people.
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Malaria keeps killing millions
Fake and substandard drugs produced by unscrupulous manufacturers is a real worry.
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A 'malaria day' resolution
Rolling back the insect-borne disease will require better coordination between aid agencies and private companies.
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Ending the failing approach to healthcare
Despite massive increases of donor funding for health in Africa, things on the ground are not improving. It's time to examine new methods of delivering healthcare in Africa, says Nigerian analyst Thompson Ayodele.
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Hot air and human health
The cost of cutting greenhouse gas emissions would have drastic implications for human health, causing worldwide recession. If the WHO is serious about improving the health of the poor, it should stop trying to push emissions caps and focus on the real barriers to good health.
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Spare Africa the medicine of the new colonisers
Unaccountable western NGOs have great influence over the health policies of African governments. The only problem is, they normally get things wrong.
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Leading epidemiologist Professor Jim Chin explains how the exaggeration of a 'general' AIDS pandemic by UNAIDS has resulted in billions of dollars of unnecessary and misdirected spending. 
Despite a record level of philanthropic and multilateral funding for malaria, there are still significant problems in the procurement and delivery of malaria drugs. These easily solvable problems are undermining the effectiveness of donor funding. 
How does economic globalisation affect health? Why is access to medicines in many poor countries so low? Why, despite recored levels of spending, are intergovernmental efforts to fight disease so ineffectual? These questions and others are addressed in this new book. 
This paper from the CFD examines the scale and scope of drug counterfeiting in lower income countries and suggests some strategies which would help limit their manufacture and supply.