eLesson 6
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY PRODUCT ISSUES?
This means stealing, diverting or counterfeiting health products.
EXAMPLES
Criminals steal goods from central warehouses
People steal small quantities of medicines from local health facilities
Local markets have Global Fund medicines for sale
eLesson on product issues:
5 mins left
Why should you care about product issues?
Product issues weaken the ability of recipient countries to effectively control AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Product issues can result in patients not receiving the life-saving medicines or other health products such as insecticide treated mosquito nets that they are entitled to. It can result in patients having to buy the medicines or other health products they should have received for free. It can also lead to patients unwittingly buying sub-standard or counterfeit products that can endanger their health.
Product issues also reduce the potential impact of Global Fund grants, discredit the ability of the Global Fund to carry out its mission and cause grant funds and medicines to be lost due to disruption.
eLesson on product issues:
5 mins left
How do you spot product issues?
Product issues have the following red flags:
Stock outs of free medicines. Medicines aren’t available at public health facilities.
Medicines with words such as ‘Not for Retail Sale’ or other logos available for sale in private pharmacies and markets.
Medicines that have limited or no effect.
eLesson on product issues:
5 mins left
Case study on product issues
Real case studies of product issues from our archives:
Malaria Drugs Stolen from Public Health System
04.12.2015
Drugs financed by the Global Fund were delivered to a recipient country to treat malaria patients for free through public hospitals and health clinics. Some of the malaria drugs were stolen and diverted to the country’s black market as well as neighbouring countries to be sold for profit.
eLesson on product issues:
5 mins left
PRODUCT ISSUE OR NOT? YOU DECIDE
Is this a product issue? |
YES |
NO |
|---|---|---|
| A supplier of malaria nets askes for a bribe to speed up delivery | ||
| Global Fund-funded HIV drugs are being sold in informal markets | ||
| Counterfeit condoms are found in a health facility |
