By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Rosa Furneaux and Laura Margottini — TBIJ
Published on 2024-01-25 06:00:45
A year after a report found that a substandard cancer drug was being widely used, the World Health Organization and national drug regulators are under fire for failing to protect children from the dangerous chemotherapy.
The WHO plays a significant role in safeguarding people around the world from unsafe medicines. One of the fastest ways it can warn governments about a dangerous or ineffective drug is by issuing a medical product alert. This prompts governments to take action such as recalling the drugs or investigating the manufacturers.
However, the WHO has not issued any alert about the problematic cancer drug. Last January, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), in collaboration with STAT, revealed that at least a dozen brands of asparaginase, a key childhood chemotherapy drug, had failed quality tests. This put an estimated 70,000 children at risk, mostly in low- and middle-income countries.
One year on, neither national governments nor the WHO have taken meaningful action, with both sides claiming communication breakdowns and a lack of evidence. The WHO states that it first received information about potentially substandard asparaginase in February 2022 and conducted an investigation.
Despite this, little meaningful action has been taken by the WHO. Their investigation appears to have missed evidence, such as internal hospital memos and testimony from doctors. TBIJ’s investigation revealed that substandard brands of asparaginase were shipped to over 90 countries worldwide.
The WHO has stated that its investigation is ongoing and requires detailed information from government officials before taking further action. A global medical product alert has not been issued as they have not received actionable information from the governments of countries mentioned in the report.
Many national governments have also shown reluctance to take responsibility for the use of dangerous asparaginase in their countries. Little action has been taken by the Indian regulatory agency CDSCO, and in Italy, senators raised concerns about the issue, but there has been no significant reply from the government or regulatory agencies.
The lack of meaningful action by the WHO and national governments has raised concerns about the safety of children being treated with substandard cancer drugs. The WHO’s handling of the issue has been heavily criticized, and it remains to be seen what steps will be taken to address this urgent and concerning situation.
Read the original article on Africa Health News
