Cameroon announced Tuesday a nationwide crackdown on the sale of counterfeit medicines and cosmetics and said it would tighten regulation of the sector.

Solange Kouakap, inspector general of pharmaceutical services and laboratories at the Ministry of Public Health, made the announcement during a crackdown on the products in the capital, Yaounde.

Accompanied by security forces, officials intercepted, seized and destroyed tons of illegal pharmaceutical products during the crackdown.

“These fake products are not only very dangerous to people’s health, but also harm the economy,” Kouakap told reporters. “We are sending a message to the perpetrators that we will not tolerate any illegal activities that damage people’s health and affect social safety.”

The crackdown shows the government’s strong commitment to stopping this phenomenon, officials said.

More than 600,000 tons of counterfeit drugs were seized in Cameroon in 2021, according to Cameroonian National Gendarmerie.

Source: Xinhuanet