Fake Chinese malaria drug claims false: newspaper

BEIJING - An investigative report carried by the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in its Tuesday and Wednesday editions said allegations regarding China exporting fake anti-malaria drugs to Africa are false.

The report stated that accusations made by foreign media may be related to China's increasing share of the African pharmaceutical market, which has long been dominated by foreign companies.

The report said Chinese anti-malaria medicines are exported to Africa through governmental assistance, purchases by international organizations and marketing networks in Africa.

The Chinese government strictly tests the quality of drugs exported for the purpose of economic or medical assistance, checking them at both production sites and ports, the report said.

"The quality of such drugs can be guaranteed," the newspaper quoted Zhu Zhenghong, a Ministry of Commerce official, as saying.

Anti-malaria drugs produced by the Guilin Pharmaceutical Company are in line with a WHO prequalification system established in 2004 to ensure the quality of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis drugs that are purchased and used internationally, the report said.

Other exported drugs are monitored by both China and the countries that import such drugs, the report said.

The report said drugs are registered and certified by the State Food and Drug Administration before production, adding that they are only manufactured on certified production lines.

Drugs are only exported after receiving approval from importing countries, the report said, adding that four Chinese companies have received approval from food and drug authorities in Tanzania.

The local drug quality certification system in Tanzania is very strict, the report said, adding that authorities check manufacturers' qualifications, inspect their production sites and conduct customs examinations.

Tanzanian authorities will trace the distribution of imported drugs, as well as report and investigate possible cases of counterfeit upon discovery, the report said.

Drug quality supervision in Uganda is also very rigid, Kong Dongsheng, marketing manager of the Kunming Pharmaceutical Corporation (KPC) in Uganda, was quoted as saying.

Drug safety violators are subject to serious punishment or even criminal penalties in Tanzania, Kong said. REAL PURPOSE

The pharmaceutical market in African regions has long been cornered by foreign enterprises due to its high admission threshold, said Su Li, vice president of the Guilin Pharmaceutical Company.

Low-cost, high-quality medicine supplied by Chinese enterprises has helped to alleviate the shortage of affordable drugs in Africa, Su said, adding that Chinese companies will inevitably challenge the market dominance held by foreign companies.

Ouyang Daobing, a senior Chinese diplomat in Uganda, was quoted as saying that Chinese malaria medications containing artemisinin, a drug derived from wormwood, are easier to use, cheaper, more efficient and have fewer side effects than other anti-malaria medications, which usually feature quinine as their primary active ingredient.

Zhou Yong, manager of the Tanzanian branch of the Shanghai-based Hofon Cotec Pharmaceutical Corporation, provided the paper with a story about an alleged attempt by a British media organization to fabricate a story related to the company's medication.

One of the organization's reporters modified the packaging of one of the company's products and brought it to one of the company's dealers in Tanzania, asking the dealer if the product was fake, Zhou claimed, adding that the ruse was easily uncovered.

China has provided Uganda with anti-malaria medication since 2006 and the drugs' effects have been recognized by both Uganda's government and people, Ouyang said, adding that one of the medicines was recommended by Uganda's minister of health last year.

The Ugandan government seeks new forms of medical assistance from China every year, Ouyang said.

Although hundreds of thousands of people have died in Tanzania in years past due to malaria, the number dropped to 25,000 last year, the paper quoted Kissandu, marketing director of Hofon Cotec's Tanzanian branch, as saying.

Medicine from China should be exempt from criticism targeting African efforts to fight the disease, Kissandu said, adding that Chinese anti-malaria drugs account for just 10 percent of the market share for such drugs in Tanzania.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying refuted counterfeit Chinese drug claims last month, stating that cooperation between the Chinese government and African countries has played an important role in improving health care for Africans.

Hua said China attaches great importance to drug safety, adding that the country's management of exported drugs is consistent with international practices.