Asia's Deadly Counterfeit Drugs

feer.com ^ | June 5, 2008 | Roger Bate

[neverdem]

New Delhi – Anecdotal reports by health-care workers in Africa and Southeast Asia reveal a worrying new trend: Drugs successfully used for years to combat malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV are failing more and more often. Misdiagnosis of disease, coupled with the (related) misuse and overuse of drugs, likely plays a role, especially in resource-constrained countries where scientific diagnostic tests are unavailable or too expensive to be practical. But many doctors suspect another culprit: counterfeit drugs.

Nothing is more dangerous for a poor patient with a potentially fatal disease than taking drugs that do not work. Not only can faulty drugs poison the patient (over 100 children died in Panama, for example, after taking cough syrup that had been mixed with diethylene glycol, a common component of antifreeze), they also eliminate the possibility of effective treatment. The doctor has no way of knowing whether the patient is simply not responding as expected or if the drug itself is to blame. Faulty drugs that contain too little active ingredient to work properly can also breed resistance, undermining the long-term effectiveness of authentic therapies.

Studies suggest that many of the substandard drugs in Africa and Southeast Asia —as well as other medical products such as non-sterile blunt needles and syringes—are produced in and imported from China and India. Products proliferate along the Mekong Delta, notably in Cambodia, and local authorities appear bemused as to how to respond. An example for them is Dora Akunyili, director general of Nigeria’s drug regulatory authority who is taking the attack back to exporting nations. “India and China are not helpful, Chinese officials don’t care about the problem. Indian ones are not serious either,” she bristles. She has banned over 20 companies from India and China from exporting to Nigeria.

A key problem is that both countries have...

[neverdem]

Mr. Bate, an economist and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, studies health policy and endemic diseases in developing countries. His latest book, “Making a Killing: The Deadly Implications of the Counterfeit Drug Trade” is just out from AEI Press.

[Mrs. Don-o]

As far as wee can manage, we don't buy anything that was made in China. Even bypassed frozen Chinese "wild-caught red Pacific salmon" at something like $3 a pound --- cheaper than canned Alaska salmon --- even though, as a Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer, I eat lots of salmon for the Omega-3's.

That's OK, It'd probably turn out to be catfish caught in the slime of the polluted Yangtze, with red food coloring for consumer satisfaction.

[redstateconfidential]

Everything from China is a turd wrapped in a bow.

[EEDUDE]

"It'd probably turn out to be catfish caught in the slime of the polluted Yangtze"

I simply won't buy any fish anymore unless it specifically states that it's from the USA. The Chinese have shown that they will do anything for a buck, and don't care whether they poison us or not.

It's just not worth the risk in my opinion.

[mkjessup]

Can anyone identify a consumer product that can not be manufactured and processed in the United States?

I still like to picture an America which is self sufficient, inventive and creative enough to harvest, process, manufacture, distribute and sell any and every consumer product and necessity without the need to import one damn thing from the rest of the world.

An America that produces and supplies it's own consumer base with nothing but "Made in the USA" products not only would be more independent, it would put Americans needing jobs back to work in the manufacturing and distribution legs of the process, just to mention two major needs.

Our Nation can compete with, and surpass ANY foreign competitor, no matter the product, all that is needed is the political will to change the status quo.

I know, I know, nice fantasy.

[angkor]

A while back there was a TV newsclip showing a Chinese fish pond, of which there are many thousands for exportable fish farming. It was basically a black sludgepot and you got a pretty good sense of that from all the people working in it, in other words the black sludgy water wasn’t merely a video camera illusion.

The clip went on to note that these fish ponds are filled with thousands of ***human contraceptive pills*** because the estrogen makes it easier for fish to extract oxygen from the filthy and disgusting muck.

As for the fake medicines, the practice is no different than mass murder. Cambodia (and probably Vietnam, etc) ought to file genocide charges against China.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for the info. Now excuse me while I check some packaging labels...

[Wiseghy]

They forgot Mexico.

On a recent trip, I was told that phony meds in parts of Mexico are more common than real ones.

[FixitGuy]

Actually the Chinese catfish is pond raised with chicken pens above the water so they only have to feed the chickens.

How else can ya get salmonella in catfish?

Although.....salmonella....salmon...sorta close.

[trisham]

Canned wild Alaskan salmon is not terribly expensive. I prefer it, because it’s better quality than farm-raised salmon. I hope.

[4Liberty]

China is the "counterfeit reverse-engineered economy."

[Mrs. Don-o]

I eat canned salmon a lot. Will personal-mail you my personal-best recipe for salmon chowder tomorrow -— when I’m on my own computer.

[JACKRUSSELL]

A ping list dedicated to exposing the quality, safety and security issues of anything “Made in China”.


Please FReepmail me if you would like to be on or off of the list.

(This can be a high volume ping list.)

[metmom]

Nigeria doing something I wish we would.

Who’d have thought it?

[pbmaltzman]

I eat canned salmon a lot. Will personal-mail you my personal-best recipe for salmon chowder tomorrow -— when I’m on my own computer.

Would you please either post that recipe here or also personal e-mail me? I am also a fan of wild salmon. Thanks in advance!

[Mrs. Don-o]

This is a recipe I devised to be low-carb and even fairly low-fat (despite the salmon and cheese.) I hope you'll like it as much as I do! It's very flexible as to measurements and adaptable as to ingredients: but of course, that's the genius of soup.

SALMON CHOWDER
5 SERVINGS

1/3 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. chopped celery
Smallest yellow summer squash, diced
1 cup diced cauliflower
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp each Salt and Pepper, or to taste
1 can nonfat chicken broth
3/4 c. evaporated skim milk
1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 lb. shredded real cheddar
1 15-oz can salmon,
....including skin and bones, squished
2 Tbs flax seeds, ground

Simmer vegetables and seasonings in broth until tender. Stir in salmon, yogurt, skim milk, cheddar, and flaxseed. Continue heating and stirring until cheese melts.

[Wonderful optional stir-ins: white wine, tarragon, shallots, coconut milk, crispy crumbled bacon on top.]

That's it.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per 1 cup
Calories 175
Total Fat 7 g (3 g of that is Omega-3!)
Total Carbohydrate 6 g (3 g of that is Fiber!)
Protein 16 g
Also excellent source of:
Vitamin D 63%
Calcium 32%
Vitamin B-12 28%
Phosphorus 20%

I used FitDay as a tool to figure out the nutrient content.

This soup is my Elixir of Life. Enjoy!

[Non-Sequitur]

Products proliferate along the Mekong Delta, notably in Cambodia, and local authorities appear bemused as to how to respond.

Bemused - to cause to have feelings of wry or tolerant amusement.

Somehow I don't think that was the right word to use.

[Dustbunny]

Why anyone with an ounce of sense would trust any product coming out of a Communist country is beyond me.

Is it a 'follow the money' or just a death wish for others that are not Communist.

[trisham]

Thank you, Mrs. Don-o! It looks scrumptious!

[pbmaltzman]

Thank you for posting the recipe! I’m already drooling. I have most of the ingredients here on hand already.