Project

Substandard and falsified medicines pose a severe global health threat, particularly in low-resource settings where informal drug markets are widespread. In Burkina Faso, prior research by our consortium found that around 50% of antibiotics sold by informal vendors—street hawkers, market stalls, and kiosks—are substandard or falsified, exposing consumers to serious health risks and contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Despite these risks, informal vendors play a critical role in medicine access, especially for underserved communities. Current policy approaches—such as strict regulatory enforcement and vendor crackdowns—have largely failed to eliminate these markets and may even exacerbate healthcare inequalities. This project proposes an alternative, evidence-based approach: rather than eliminating informal vendors, we investigate whether they can be integrated into a regulated healthcare system to ensure safer drug distribution without restricting access.

Project start:
01. October 2025

Project end:
30. September 2026

Project partners:
Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Agence Nationale de Regulation Pharmaceutique, Ministere de la Santé