Quality of anti-malarial drug defended

Michael O'Leary, the World Health Organization Representative in China, has defended the quality of Chinese-made anti-malaria drugs after an international study said substandard and counterfeit products, some originated in China, were undermining intervention efforts in Africa.

Large parts of Africa are threatened by the distribution of fake and poor quality anti-malarials, often made illicitly in China, claimed a study released in January and funded by Wellcome Trust, a global health charity.

Examining such anti-malarials found on sale in 11 African countries between 2002 and 2010, the study found that some contained a mixture of the wrong pharmaceutical ingredients, which would initially alleviate the symptoms of malaria, but would not cure the disease.