US offer dollars to anti-malaria whistleblowers

The American government has renewed a campaign paying thousands of dollars in cash for information concerning the theft of falsification of anti-malaria drugs. The US Agency for International Development launched the “Make a Difference”-or MAD-campaign last December but its re-launch this December comes with a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week hotline where the public can report suspicions and […]

The American government has renewed a campaign paying thousands of dollars in cash for information concerning the theft of falsification of anti-malaria drugs.
The US Agency for International Development launched the “Make a Difference”-or MAD-campaign last December but its re-launch this December comes with a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week hotline where the public can report suspicions and concerns about anti-malaria drugs.
The rewards are for people in countries where American funding from the US President’s Malaria Initiative pays for anti-malaria drugs.
“MAD is to solicit involvement of local communities in the fight against those who prey upon malaria control programmes in Nigeria and elsewhere,” said a USAID statement.
It will be interested in information concerning “theft, transshipment, resale or falsification” of anti-malaria drugs.
While identifying fake or false drugs may be difficult, the MAD campaign considers all USAID-branded malaria commodities should be free to beneficiaries and any for sale should be reported.
“If a product states ‘not for sale’, and it is being sold, then it was stolen,” it added.
“Generally, anti-malaria medicine provided free of charge through government health facilities is less likely to be substandard or falsified. Medicines sold by hawkers, street vendors, and unlicensed drug sellers are more likely to be stolen or falsified,” USAID said.