Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, there have been claims that hydroxychloroquine can help in preventing and treatment the deadly virus, and since it’s been a valuable object that is trafficked.
Chloroquine is well known in Africa and was one of the most widely prescribed anti-malaria drugs until the 1980s.
However, attempts are made to produce the drug locally, highlighting the flaws of the drug market in West Africa.
In Nigeria, chloroquine in a 250 mg dosage can be sold, and prices have soared in the last four months.
A packet of 60 tablets has gone from $8 to $194 in pharmacies.
Despite the legal battle on illicit drugs in the sub-region, the traffic is on the increase.
In Cameroon, a network of counterfeit chloroquine manufacturers were arrested in Bafoussam in March 2020.
Several were recently seized in Niger, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire.
