Rid Kenya and Africa of counterfeit cancer drugs

Cancer drugs [Courtesy]

Revelations that fake or highly ineffective cancer drugs are being administered to patients in four African countries, including Kenya, are alarming. According to a study conducted by a researcher from the University of Notre Dame in the US, published in the Lancet Global Health, in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Cameroon, about 17 percent of cancer drugs don't contain the vital ingredients that are needed to treat or reduce the disease. That may be the case in most sub-Saharan African countries.

This is dangerous because cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Africa. In Kenya, between 44,000 and 48,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year, and close to 30,000 die annually. These are not just statistics; they represent parents, siblings, friends, and children whose families fill hospital corridors at Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, and other facilities, praying that treatment will give them relief.