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'Chinese
drugs with Indian labels affecting exports to Africa'
By
Fakir Hassen
Indo-Asian News
Service
Johannesburg, July 27 (IANS) Chinese drugs with Indian labels
are flooding West Africa, seriously impacting attempts by
Indian pharmaceutical companies to enter the African market,
according to the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of
India (Pharmexcil).
"Drugs of Chinese origin are reaching Nigeria with labels
saying these are made in India," Pharmexcil executive
director P.V. Appaji told IANS.
"We have to be extremely careful in ensuring that only
genuine drugs exported from India and protected drugs are
made available to the African public," Appaji said, adding:
"Worldwide, access to low cost generics is under threat
from counterfeits, generic violations or local laws, but that
is something that we can work out together."
According to him, the potential for India and South Africa
to cooperate to push generic drugs was "excellent".
"I found that the South African government is well aware
of this, and is trying to take care of it by increasing the
penetration of generic drugs throughout South Africa,"
Appaji said.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is well positioned in dealing
with these challenges and will benefit from establishing links
with South Africa, he added.
The Pharmexcil delegation will also visit countries neighbouring
South Africa such as Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia later
this week.
Pharmexcil's foray into Africa started with Kenya in East
Africa and Tunisia in North Africa, with a delegation visiting
Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa three months
ago.
"We found that generic drugs are very well received in
these African countries and hope to establish links with them
to counter the impact of counterfeit generic drugs,"
Appaji said.
Indo-Asian
News Service
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