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Interpol helps combat fake AIDS drugs

The world police body, Interpol, began a three-day workshop in Ghana's capital, Accra, aimed at deepening cooperation with its counterparts in Africa to fight crime, including the counterfeiting of drugs for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. According to Interpol, police forces across Africa were now linked to the I-24/7 global police satellite communication system, designed to fight international crime and terrorism by tracking fugitives and stolen goods. Reuters quoted Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble as saying, "Two years ago, only three African countries were connected to I-24/7; today 31 of the 53 countries in Africa are connected to this state-of-the-art facility." Research presented earlier this year at the 2nd Global Forum on Pharmaceutical AntiCounterfeiting, in Paris, suggested that as many as one in 20 pharmaceutical products on the market could be counterfeit, with the number rising to one in three in some developing countries.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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