Preventing the Illegal Sale of ‘Ticafrani’ in Côte d’Ivoire
18 April 2016
The Office of the Inspector General of the Global Fund, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene of Côte d'Ivoire, have announced today the launch of an anti-corruption campaign called « J'en parle maintenant ! » (“I Speak Out Now !”).
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of taking medicines purchased in the markets without proper medical prescription or treatment. The campaign targets the diversion of RHZE, often called ‘ticafrani’, which are powerful and essential antibiotics to treat tuberculosis. This practice not only represents a financial loss for the programs funded by the Global Fund but also poses a major public health risk as it reinforces the prevalence of multidrug-resistant forms of tuberculosis.
Through public service announcements on national radio and in the media, the campaign builds on the work of the Chirac Foundation, the charitable foundation of the former French President, by using its slogan « Le médicament de la rue tue ! » (The medicine of the street kills!)
“We support this campaign, which aims to protect the health of the people of Côte d’Ivoire,” said the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Dr. Raymonde Goudou Coffie. “Like the Global Fund, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire is strongly engaged in the fight against medicines sold in the street. All actions that aim to eradicate and fight the proliferation of illicit and counterfeit medicines are supported by the Ivorian Government.”
“The Global Fund does not tolerate any form of corruption,” said Mouhamadou Diagne, Inspector General of the Global Fund. “We are here to ensure that Global Fund investments serve the population in the most effective manner. All of our reports are published in full in the interests of transparency and accountability.”
“It is essential to reinforce the supply chain of the medicines financed by the Global Fund,” declared Sonia Florisse, Fund Portfolio Manager for Côte d'Ivoire at the Global Fund. “Thanks to our collaboration with the Ministry of Health and our partners in the country, this campaign will reinforce the measures we take so that our programs will have the most impact possible to improve the health of the Ivorian population.”
The Global Fund has disbursed US$336 million (196 billion Fcfa) in Côte d'Ivoire to date. In association with its partners, the programs funded by the Global Fund have had the following results: more than 140,000 people living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral treatment, 83,000 cases of tuberculosis have been detected and treated, and 25.8 million bed nets have been distributed in the fight against malaria.
The “I Speak Out Now!” campaign can be found online on www.ispeakoutnow.org