Behind these counterfeit products lies a health threat with disastrous consequences for animal health, the profitability of farms, and the health of consumers.
In the dusty back room of a small rural pharmacy, a weary herder hands over his last savings to the shopkeeper. His flock is wasting away; the animals cough, the goats are losing weight. The product he is offered, presented in a crumpled, drab-colored package, promises a quick cure. The herder cannot afford to go to a licensed veterinary clinic, nor can he pay the price of genuine medicine. He doesn’t know that the bottle he is carrying could well be a slow poison, a therapeutic illusion that will condemn his animals to certain death after emptying his wallet. Welcome to the opaque world of veterinary medicines in Africa, where the cure often kills more than the disease.
The reality of veterinary medicines circulating on the continent is alarming. Rigorous studies conducted in various regions of sub-Saharan Africa have revealed a truth that authorities are still struggling to fully acknowledge. Of nineteen samples of veterinary medicines collected across several countries, four yielded solutions that did not meet pharmacopoeial requirements, three had a water content exceeding acceptable limits, and fifteen displayed an active ingredient content five to twenty percent lower than the theoretical concentration stated on the packaging. These figures mean that the vast majority of the tested medicines did not contain the amount of active substance necessary for therapeutic efficacy. Analyses carried out on thirty-six samples confirmed this trend, with eight samples declared non-compliant. Even more worrying, the proportion of counterfeit veterinary medicines was estimated at nearly fifty percent in some areas.
These discrepancies are not limited to illicit channels. They also affect official distribution networks, including licensed pharmacies and veterinary clinics meant to guarantee authentic products. The observed irregularities are numerous:
underdosing that renders treatments ineffective, overdosing that exposes animals to toxic effects, and sometimes even a complete absence of active ingredient, transforming the medication into a useless placebo. This situation is all the more tragic given that these products are intended to combat animal diseases and ensure the profitability of livestock farms, the cornerstones of the rural economy and food security.
To understand the extent of the danger, it is important to recall what a veterinary medicinal product is according to international standards. Any substance applied or administered to a food-producing animal, whether livestock, poultry, fish, or bees, falls into this category, regardless of whether the product is used for therapeutic, prophylactic, diagnostic, or physiological or behavioral modification purposes. The manufacture of such a product is a complex operation subject to strict good practice guidelines. It includes the purchase of raw materials, production processes, quality control, batch classification, and storage.
This manufacturing process unfolds in four essential stages. First, research, which identifies active molecules and assesses their therapeutic potential. Next comes the preparation of the active ingredient, which involves synthesizing or extracting the medicinal substance. The drug formulation then combines this active ingredient with excipients to obtain the final dosage form. Finally, the administrative stage of production includes the preparation of the Marketing Authorization dossier, a crucial procedure for obtaining approval from the relevant authorities before the drug can be marketed. It is at this last stage that the problem lies in many African countries, where controls are insufficient and approval procedures are often circumvented.
