Up to a quarter of what governments spend on medicines each year is lost to fraud, bribery and diversion of pharmaceuticals, says the World Health Organization.
The organisation this week (30 October) launched an initiative to help governments fight corruption by promoting greater transparency in medicines, regulation and procurement.
"Countries need to deal with this problem and ensure that the precious resources devoted to health are being well spent," said Howard Zucker, assistant director-general for health technology and pharmaceuticals at the World Health Organization (WHO).
Apart from the loss of resources and the danger posed to patients' lives, corrupt practices also allow the entry of counterfeit and substandard products into the medicines chain, further endangering the health of communities.
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