Safeguarding Health Product Integrity: A Socio-Economic Imperative for Public Health.
Substandard and falsified (SF) health products pose a significant threat to public health and pharmaceutical governance, with far-reaching health, economic, and social consequences. While this issue affects all countries, its impact is particularly pronounced in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), where structural weaknesses in regulatory, financing, and pharmaceutical supply systems exacerbate the problem.
From a health perspective, SF products compromise treatment effectiveness, increase preventable morbidity and mortality, promote the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Economically, they impose substantial direct and indirect costs on healthcare systems, including additional hospitalizations, ineffective or repeated treatments, and the waste of public resources invested in non-compliant medications.
For households, especially the most vulnerable, SF products lead to increased healthcare expenditures, income losses, and a heightened risk of impoverishment.
