Bissau, Burkina Faso, and Mali.  Haruna.
GUINEA: Black market medicines re-emerge 

Photo:  _Alexis Adele/IRIN_ (http://www.irinnews.org/photo)   
(http://www.irinnews.org/PhotoDetail.aspx?ImageId=2007081330)   Health officials warn 
that  taking unregulated medicines can kill (file  photo)CONAKRY, 1 June 2009 
(IRIN) - Trays piled with  dicey medicines are re-emerging in the markets of 
the Guinean capital, Conakry,  a few months after the military government 
cracked down on unregulated sales.  

The fight against counterfeit drugs was always going to be  difficult given 
the severe _shortage of medicines_ (http://www.irinnews
.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=84408)  in public hospitals and health  centres, Mohamed Lamine 
Yansané, the health and public hygiene ministry's chief  of staff, told IRIN on 1 
June. 

Private pharmacies have medicines  but they are unaffordable for many 
Guineans.

“The authorities are  having a tough time fighting this because there is no 
alternative [for people],”  he said. “We could destroy all the products 
being sold in the markets, but then  where would people go for medicines?” 

In March the junta arrested  several people for the alleged manufacture and 
sale of counterfeit medicines and  prohibited sales outside pharmacies. 
Conakry residents say black market  medicines were scarce for a brief period 
after the crackdown but have reappeared  in recent weeks. 

The persistence of the phenomenon underscores the  urgency of supplying 
Guinea’s public health centres with essential medicines,  the Health Ministry’
s Yansané said. 

At Niger market in Conakry’s Kaloum  neighbourhood, Mariam Sylla told IRIN 
she had no choice but to turn to black  market medicines. “Products in the 
pharmacies are too expensive; we prefer to  buy in the informal market.” 

Vendors, too, seem pleased the sales are  thriving again. 

“I started to sell again when I saw other people doing  so in other markets 
like Madina [a main Conakry marketplace],” said a young  vendor who 
requested anonymity. “This is how I feed my family.” 

Asked  whether he was worried about checks by the authorities, he said no. 

The  junta recently announced it would free up money to buy medicines to 
supply  public health centres and some donors have expressed interest in  
helping, but to date nothing has materialised, Yansané told  IRIN.
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