Head of the Yemen healthcare organization Jalal Saeed Al-Turjmi revealed on Monday that about 374 types of the medicines sold in the local market are smuggled.
Al-Turjmi told Algomhoriah newspaper the organization found out through a questionnaire --which was part of its program titled your medicine source guarantees your recovery-- the smuggled medications are being sold without supervision or undergoing state quality and effect examinations.
“This issue is very crucial because taking these types of medications will have negative effects on the health of the people,” he was quoted as saying.
He pointed to a recent report by the World Health Organization which said that about 40 percent of the smuggled medications in Yemen are fake and should not be used anywhere in the republic.
In late last year, official reports said 60% of the medications sold in Yemen are smuggled and that the people spend about $117 million on medications annually.
Yemen imports medications from 117 foreign countries for $5.517 million a year, the reports said, adding that the private sector imports total $101 million a year.