WHO:check corruption in procurement of drugs
Saturday, November 04, 2006 11:58 [IST]
New York : The World Health Organisation has sought the strengthening of regulatory authorities, procurement practices and legislations to stop fraud, bribery and other corrupt practices in the distribution of procured pharmaceutical products.
Around 50 billion dollars are spent every year on pharmaceutical products and the agency estimates that as much as 25 per cent of procured medicines can be lost to corrupt practices.
In this context, it called for setting up a group of anti-corruption and medicines experts from international institutions to promote greater transparency in regulation and procurement.
"Corruption is a worldwide problem, rife in high and low-income countries alike, and no country should feel embarrassed to talk about it," UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director of Medicines Policy and Standards Hans Hogerzeil said.
"Low income countries are the most vulnerable, and they are the ones we will initially support in promoting more transparent, money-saving tactics," he added at a two-day meeting beginning to set out strategies and set up the initiative.
Before reaching the patients, medicines change hands several times in the complex production and distribution chain, providing ample opportunity for corruption, WHO noted.
A recent report by Transparency International, a global civil society organization, revealed that in one country, the value of two out of three medicines supplied through procurement was lost to corruption.
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